Belly of the Beast
by Mari Falcon
Summary: Naruto has passed the first two tests of the gods. Now, he has the chance to get what was stolen from him at birth. The question is, will he? Sequel to 'If Only.'
1. Prologue

So, to all of my loyal readers, here it is! The long-anticipated sequel to "If Only." I do hope that all of you have found it alright. I was a bit confused with the revising process, had to do a couple of chapters two times._  
_

_Prologue_

_Darkness. Cold. Silence._

_Elsewhere, they were merely the absence of their counterparts. Take away the light and get darkness. Take away the warmth and get cold. Take away the noise and get silence. If light, warmth, and noise came, darkness, cold and silence left. They were not active, in any way. In truth they did not really exist as constructs unto themselves. They were dependent._

_But that was elsewhere._

_Here, they were not passive. They did not vanish in the presence of their better halves._

_Quite the contrary._

_The light was attacked. The darkness crept upon the light, surrounded it. The darkness crawled to the light, inside it. It latched onto the light. The darkness spread in the light, poisoning it and taking it over._

_The warmth was conquered. The cold slammed into it, wrapping itself around the warmth. The warmth, shivered, drew itself in until it was too small to fight the cold. It surrendered to the cold, slowly, painfully. But it surrendered._

_The noise was strangled. The silence came from behind, encircled the silence and choked the light out of it. The noise screamed, loud and hard. But the more it screamed, the more silence came and forced itself down its throat until the noise was silence._

_With that, the light, the warmth and the noise disappeared. They never had to fight before. Before, they had been dominant. They had been the only thing to exist. Now they had to fight, but they hadn't developed the claws or teeth and couldn't._

_The constructs that represented them did not realize it. They fought amongst themselves, as they were doomed to. As they fought and battled endlessly, the darkness crept, the cold enveloped and the silence strangled._

_Bit by bit, the beings of light, warmth and noise lost that which they prized most: their humanity._

_The Realm thrived._

* * *

O.O 

Yeah, I know. There will be more of these little interludes and their purpose will become far more clear as time goes on.

The next chapter will be coming up soon. Be a teensy bit more patient. It might actually come up tonight.


	2. Chapter 1

Okay, like I said, new chapter already up! Yaaay!

For those of you new to the story, it is a continuation of my other story, "If Only." I recommend going back and reading it, but if you _really _don't want to, my prologue is that intriguing and you can't stand the tension, here is a summary (very breif):

Naruto encounters a strange box in the woods that knocks him out. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a world with his family, respect among the villagers and a girlfriend. However, he discovers that all of his friends are, in one way or another, worse off. He finds out that the box didn't send him to another world, it changed the world he was in and he had the power to change it back to what it was. He chooses to go back to the old world, where his friends are better and give up his family. He destroys the box and when he looks up, he sees someone he didn't expect.

Oh, and for the record, I _destest _character bashing, unless its done in humor, and the stereotypes that prevail on ff net. Don't expect any in this and if that's why you're reading, forget it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 1

"Naruto!"

Sasuke watched as the energy from the box overwhelmed the other ninja. He saw a flash of panic in Naruto's eyes before they went completely blank and rolled back in his head. The body slumped, going limp.

Sasuke noticed belatedly that the box-like thing that Naruto had stumbled over had disappeared. Part of his mind analyzed this, considering why the thing would put its energy into Naruto if it had been made completely of energy and where it went in the event that it had substance. He itched to dissect it, to discover the source of its power and if it could be trapped, used or controlled. He knew the immense chakra reserves had, thanks to the fox. It was no small feat to overwhelm the hyperactive knucklehead. Sasuke, for all his innate superiority, had only managed to a few times, and then with considerable effort. This thing had done it in a matter of seconds, with apparent ease.

So what was it and where the hell had it gone?

Sasuke was snapped out of his musings by a loud _thump. _He looked up and saw Naruto had fallen, completely unconscious.

He stood and stepped to Naruto's side, staring impassively at the blond boy. He would have preferred to simply leave him there; Sasuke didn't particularly care, but he was oddly reluctant to leave Naruto out in the woods.

Sasuke frowned slightly. Trying to lift him would be difficult and dangerous, considering his injuries. Besides, it wasn't like Naruto was a stranger to sleeping in the woods.

With that reassurance, and the knowledge that for all her wrath, Tsunade wouldn't harm a recovering patient, Sasuke walked away.

* * *

_Three days later . . . _

The entirety of Konoha was in a state of terror.

The Hokage was angry.

Rumors flew as to the exact nature of the Hokage's rage. Some said her lover had left her. Others said that she didn't have a lover, never did and her mind finally went from the lack of sex. One said she was mad to begin with and this was merely her true nature showing itself.

Most agreed with him.

A select few knew precisely what had sent Tsunade into an unprecedented fit of rage. They included, Shizune, Sasuke and, funnily enough, Tsunade herself. Usually, when she got this angry, the Hokage was rather drunk and couldn't remember why she was angry. This time she was certain of it and it was not a good sign.

Genma, Izumo, and Kotetsu knew this for a fact. If a fit of drunken anger, she'd smash everything in sight until she passed out. All one had to do was get out of her immediate vicinity and you'd be quite safe. When she was sober, however, she was far more focused and far more dangerous. She'd only use her inhuman strength to make a demonstration. Otherwise, Tsunade would sit behind her desk, fold her hands in front of her face and glare fiercely over her knuckles at anyone who didn't please her and a few who did.

"Find Uchiha Sasuke," Tsunade ordered to the three ninja standing in the room. "Now."

Not wanting to spend another moment in the presence of her enormous fury and killing intent, the three fled, searching for the not-as-intimidating Uchiha. Unfortunately, Shizune wasn't so lucky as to escape Tsunade's indirect wrath.

"Tsunade-sama, please calm down," Shizune pleaded. She was terribly worried about her mistress and had every right to be, judging by the steadily increasing number of veins that were pounding in her neck and temples. Though she looked it, Tsunade wasn't young. All this stress couldn't be good for her. Shizune pursed her lips and felt a wave of anger toward Naruto. _Always stressing and worrying Tsunade-sama. _

"You really expect me to calm down, Shizune?" Tsunade snapped.

Shizune tried a different approach. "Yelling at him won't do any good," she insisted. "You know he won't listen."

Tsunade's brown eyes switched from the innocent door to Shizune. "Are you trying to protect him, Shizune?"

The other woman quickly paled and tried to backpedal. "No, no—"

"After everything he's done, to this village and to Naruto, you'd defend him?" Tsunade's voice cut across her assistant like a whip. She slowly began to stand. "While you go _behind _my _back_ to the council, betray me and Naruto—"

"Tsunade, Naruto is—"

"Tsunade-shishou!" Sakura burst into the room, forgetting to knock.

"Hold on Sakura," Tsunade ordered, holding up a hand. It took conscious effort for her not to curl it into a fist. Sakura froze. "Naruto . . . is what, Shizune?"

The dark-haired woman lowered her head and folded her hands in front of her. _Thank the gods Sakura came in. _Her loss of temper could have ended up being quite painful. She took a deep breath. "It is nothing, Tsunade-sama."

"That's what I thought, Shizune." She sat back down. "Now go do something else somewhere else."

Shizune hurried out of the room, equally torn between guilt, anger and fear. When she was gone, Tsunade turned to her younger apprentice. "What is it, Sakura?"

Sakura gulped. "Is it true that Naruto is in the hospital?"

Tsunade frowned, her anger and worry increasing tenfold. "Yes."

"What's wrong with him?" Sakura asked, gripping the edge of the desk.

"He's in a coma of some kind," Tsunade answered. She anticipated Sakura's next question. "I don't know from what. He was found unconscious in the woods behind the Hokage monument his morning. The last person to see him was Uchiha Sasuke, who people are looking for as we speak."

Sakura processed this information quietly, her expression giving away nothing. If Naruto's coma was brought on by a simple physical injury, Tsunade would have healed it immediately. It had to be more than that. _But she said, "some kind of coma." It must be something she'd never seen before. That's why she needs Sasuke to figure what's wrong with him. _

_There are two options with Sasuke: he and Naruto parted ways before Naruto passed out, or he was there, saw what happened and left him. _

_If it's the first one, then he can't help us and we're stuck at square one, trying to fix what we don't know is broken. If it's the second . . . _

_Would Sasuke leave Naruto? If he knew th__at he was passed out and injured, would he just leave Naruto in the woods?_

Sakura bit her lip and considered her ex-teammate. Two weeks ago, the scouting team had discovered Sasuke at the Uchiha hideout, all but dead from a disastrous fight with Itachi. They'd brought him back to Konoha and a team of over ten medic-nins had spent twenty-eight hours making sure he wouldn't die of blood loss, burst organs, shattered bones or any of the various injuries his body had sustained. He'd been in a coma, like Naruto now, for three more days.

During those three days, the council, the Hokage and the clan heads had debated what to do with him. Some of them argued for execution, as he was a traitor and couldn't be held above the law because of his bloodline. Other pleaded for clemency, provided that he swore fealty to Konoha again. Some said he should be stripped of his Sharingan and have his chakra sealed, to live as a civilian. It seemed that everyone and their brother had an opinion on the matter.

According to the predictions of the medics who'd worked on Sasuke, he should have been unconscious for at least a week after they'd ensured he wouldn't die. Those medics stared in amazement as he opened his eyes after three days. Two weeks after a battle like the one he'd been through, Sasuke shouldn't even be able to get out of bed, much less move about the hospital.

He had been mum about his remarkable and previously unknown healing ability. Sasuke had also been silent on the prospect of returning to Konoha, a fact that those in favor of full reinstatement had chosen to overlook when lobbying on his behalf.

Sakura had spoken to him a few times since then, sometimes as a medic, sometimes with Naruto as a part of former team 7. She'd come to one certain and disappointing conclusion.

He'd leave.

As soon as his injuries would permit him to get past the ANBU and guards he had, Sasuke would leave, again on a quest to avenge his family. Sakura was sure of that. The goal he'd had as a twelve-year old had transformed into an obsession.

_No, it was an obsession then, too. I just couldn't see it. _

Sakura had to resist the urge to rub her forehead. She pushed thoughts of the past aside and concentrated on the present, on what Sasuke had to do with Naruto's problem now.

_He would leave Naruto now. Even if there is anything left of the Sasuke who was Naruto's friend, it isn't enough to make him expend energy on anything that doesn't benefit his cause. Unless he's ordered to. _

Sakura frowned as she thought of something. In the past few days, Sakura had become sure that Sasuke could still use his Sharingan. She'd just caught a flash of it once when she surprised him. Yet, he was still in Konoha. If he was that determined to leave, why wouldn't he just throw up a genjutsu and waltz out to meet with that damned Hebi team?

It was something that had begun to plague her heavily. A part of her hoped it was because he wanted to stay on a subconscious level, but the rest of her knew that he could get the best medical care in the world here.

_Of course, there's always the possibility that this _is _a genjutsu and we're all standing around drooling, unable to break free._

Sakura shook away that depressing thought as the door opened behind her to admit Sasuke. _Think of the devil._

She tensed as she felt Tsunade's anger spike upon seeing Sasuke's indifferent visage. If Sasuke felt it—Sakura was sure he had—then he gave no indication.

Genma, who had escorted Sasuke in, closed the door quickly behind him. Sasuke stood silent and stoic, waiting for someone else to speak first. After a nerve-racking few minutes, Tsunade broke the silence.

"Do you know why you are here?" she asked.

Sasuke blinked. "No."

"Don't play dumb, Uchiha," Tsunade ordered. "It doesn't suit you."

He remained silent.

"Three days ago, I sent you up with water for Naruto, who was overworking himself as usual," Tsunade said.

" . . ."

"What happened?"

Sasuke stared at the blonde woman, debating whether or not to tell her the truth. It would be much easier for him if he didn't have Naruto chasing after him when he left. The Jinchuuriki wasn't a problem, but he was a nuisance and Sasuke's life would be much easier if Naruto wasn't in it. On the other hand, if Naruto woke up and told Tsunade that he'd lied, Sasuke would have an angry Hokage coming after him. That would be a problem.

"Naruto started running through the woods. I went after him, since you'd told me to look after him. He tripped on an invisible box."

He noticed Sakura move out of the corner of his eye, but ignored her and stared at the Hokage, whose eyebrows were raised. "An invisible box."

"Yes. When Naruto tried to investigate it, the box put out a surge of power and knocked Naruto out."

Tsunade and Sakura waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "Well? What happened next?" Tsunade prompted.

"I left."

Sakura's hands clenched. "You left him there?"

Still, Sasuke ignored her.

Sakura snapped, reached out and grabbed Sasuke by the front of his shirt. "Answer me when I talk to you!" she snarled at him. "Did you leave Naruto in the woods?"

"As I didn't bring him back, the answer is obvious," he deadpanned, utterly unimpressed with her temper.

Before Sakura could lose her temper and pummel him, Tsunade cut in. "Sakura. Put him down."

Slowly, Sakura complied with her mistress' order. Sasuke found his feet and turned back to Tsunade, dismissing his former teammate. "Is that all?"

"No, of course not," Tsunade snapped. "I'll need a full, written report. Get started."

She shoved paper and pen at him, then turned to her student. "Sakura, go start running tests on Naruto and get someone on the area behind the Hokage monument. If there are any residual traces, I want them found."

"Hai," Sakura agreed, then turned and stalked out. _An invisible box? _

_He'd only see that if he had his Sharingan. _

* * *

After Sasuke had finished his report, with much prodding for details, Tsunade looked it over and rubbed her forehead. Of course, it could be an attack not from without, but within. There was always the possibility that something was wrong with the seal. 

Of course, the only person with experience and knowledge enough to tell her if something was up with that damned demon had left two weeks ago to investigate the Rain country and the Akatsuki leader.

_Where are you, Jiraya? Why haven't you sent any frogs or any news? _

Deep inside, she feared the worst, knew that Jiraya would have to be dead or severely incapacitated to not respond for this long. Either way, whoever the man leading Akatsuki was, he was trouble of the kind she had nightmares about.

_If Jiraya can't stop him, I don't know who can. If he comes for Naruto, will I be able to protect him? _

Tsunade closed her eyes as Shizune's repeating argument against Naruto started to run through her head. He'll bring Akatsuki down on Konoha. He'll lose control of the Kyuubi and level Konoha.

_It seems he is the center of the trouble, as always. _

_The council and Shizune say that he is a danger to this village, in every way. If I were completely honest and objective, I would agree. _

_But I'm not objective. I believe in Naruto, I know that he can do this. He won't lose control of Kyuubi._

_But I'm a compulsive gambler and borderline alcoholic._

_Do I believe in myself? _

_Can I trust my own judgment?_

Tsunade struggled with these questions and the ever-increasing threats to her village as the sun went down behind her.

* * *

Sakura and Shikamaru sat in Naruto's room, playing shogi. Shikamaru had been teaching her how to play it so that she could learn about strategy better, and Naruto's room was quiet. 

It was quite ironic, actually, that the quietest part of the village would be in the hospital room of its loudest citizen. Not that he was so loud lately.

Sakura sighed as she looked at her unconscious teammate. The curtains in his room were drawn back, so that the sun fell on him. His hair hadn't lost its glow, his skin was still tan. He looked like he was sleeping. Whenever she came in here, she expected him to open his eyes, stretch and grin with a "good morning, Sakura-chan!"

But he didn't.

He just lied there.

Sometimes, she got so frustrated, she wanted to punch him. Naruto wasn't the one to be passive. She hadn't been surprised when she'd learned wind was his element. He was active, always moving, always changing, just like the wind. To see him constantly still, eternally quiet, it was like nature itself was backwards.

Shikamaru sighed, watching her watch Naruto. He twitched his nose slightly at the smell; people had sent bouquets of flowers, plants, chocolates, and ramen coupons upon hearing the blond was ill. It was funny that such an outpouring of emotion would come when Naruto couldn't appreciate it. And the gifts weren't from the Konoha twelve only. Some villagers had been taken by Naruto's grin and heart. He was determined to be a part of the village, even when it hated him, and his efforts had paid off. If Naruto wasn't training, he could certainly be found helping someone carry their groceries or entertaining children or fixing someone's roof. It was impossible not to fall in love with the kid, if one gave him the chance.

Naturally, there were a few stubborn ones who wanted to throw a party when news of Naruto's infirmity had spread. Most of those, unfortunately, were on the council.

Shikamaru knew that if they spent an hour with Naruto, they'd change their minds. But none of them would. He was a demon container and apparently the council was stupid enough to believe the condition was contagious.

In his spare time, Shikamaru planned out ways to overthrow the council, and the Hokage if need be. He wouldn't need to, though. He trusted Tsunade for the most part. But just in case.

"Shouldn't you be getting him new pajamas?" he asked suddenly. Shikamaru gave up on shogi. Sakura was just too distracted.

Sakura brought her eyes back to his. "What?"

In response, Shikamaru reached over and pulled the covers back, revealing Naruto's legs. His blue flannel pajamas were now several inches above his ankle. It looked like he was wearing flood pants.

Sakura frowned. "I didn't realize he'd grown so much," she murmured. "How tall do you think he is now?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I'd guess about six feet," he hazarded. "In any case, those are too small for him now."

"How long has it been?" Sakura sighed. "Since he passed out, or collapsed or whatever."

"Twenty-seven days," Shikamaru answered without thinking.

"Do you believe Sasuke's story?" she asked. "About an invisible box?"

Shikamaru sighed. "He'd have no reason to lie, so until one presents itself, yeah, I guess I do."

"I'm glad Tsunade ordered his chakra sealed for the time being," Sakura said. "Since he's part of the investigation."

"He'll find a way out of it," Shikamaru said. "When he really wants to leave, he'll find a way out of it."

Sakura frowned. " 'Really wants to leave' What do you mean by that?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes. "If Uchiha wanted out of Konoha, he'd get out. That seal is nothing for him; he could get free of it in an instant. He's hanging around for some reason. What, I don't know. But I'm betting it has something to do with that invisible box."

"Why the box?" Sakura asked.

"Uchiha wants power," he said simply. "That thing was powerful enough to overpower Naruto. That would attract him, especially after his last defeat to Uchiha Itachi. He would be searching for anything to make him more powerful. Orochimaru didn't work; he needs a new avenue to pursue. He seems to think that it's the box."

Sakura chewed on her lip and looked over to Naruto. _How do you always manage to get into these situations, Naruto? _

* * *

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* * *

There's the first chapter. I'll try to signify the end of the chapter by a triple line. FYI. 

I know people tend to see Tsunade as a woman who breaks everything in sight any time she's angry and is completely sloshed. She's not. Seriously. She falls asleep on the job, she doesn't drink. Geez. Stay true to the character, people.

Spoiler: I know that Jiraya's pretty much done for, but until Kishimoto draws his dead body, I won't place any bets on it.

Please, review! The bit with Naruto will be next chapter! I promise!


	3. Chapter 2

So, here is the next chappie! Already up. As promised, Naruto appears in here and all is explained. Mostly. The story will focus more on Naruto than on what happened while he was 'gone.'

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 2

_Has this really happened? _

Uzumaki Naruto rubbed at his eyes, but it was in vain as more tears fell from them.

_I finally get a family, acceptance, love, but I give it up? For my friends? _

Irony hit him like a wave, reminding him that he had fought tooth and nail to win the respect and friendship of those people. Never had he thought it would hurt him so.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a voice behind him. The words were indistinct, but he knew that tone. Only Kyuubi could put that much annoyance and arrogance into a few words. He turned around. "Hey, furbaaaAAH-what the hell?"

Kyuubi brought his head up, annoyed. Not only at the kit for being so loud, but at his paw for being a hand. He checked the rest of his body, too. Indeed, he was thoroughly human. He sneered. Humans. Sniveling, weak little life forms that thought the world belonged to them. Why did he have to be stuck in the body of one? But, to the present situation. Kyuubi turned to face Naruto. "Damn it, why are you always so loud?"

"No way," Naruto whispered, staring in amazement. It was the man from the picture, the one his mother had identified as Hideharu. He had the same red hair, the gold eyes and, Naruto noted with wonder, three whisker marks on either cheeks. But, why was Kyuubi's voice coming from his mouth? Unless . . .

"Yes way," Kyuubi responded, thinking that Naruto was referring to his volume. "You are loud. Didn't that ramen man teach you what an inside voice means?"

"Hi-Hideharu?"

The fox-human scowled at the human-human. "Are you talking to me? Because I'm Kyuubi, the nine-tailed demon fox, remember? What, did the alternate universe addle your brains or something?" He reached up and gave a couple of knocks on Naruto's forehead. "Helloooo? Anybody home?"

Naruto still didn't pay any attention to the other person. He was too busy staring at the chains wrapped around Kyuubi/Hideharu. How could he move so easily with all of those chains? Suddenly, a couple of hard taps to his forehead brought him back. "Huh?"

Kyuubi leaned back, glad that he'd brought the kid out of his thoughts. Thinking too much could hurt the blond. He'd seen it happen. "So, you aren't brain dead," Kyuubi commented. "Well, more than you already were, at least."

"Hey!" Naruto protested, folding his arms. From behind him, someone laughed. Naruto scowled and spun to face his insulter. He stopped short as he focused on the man. His eyes widened. It couldn't be. Sen, the man from the astral plane, who'd given him the brilliant advice to cut his heart out. "Sen?"

"Ah, I see you remember me," the man said, unusually happy over this fact. "I'm quite honored."

Naruto tried to form words, but only ended up looking like a fish out of water until Kyuubi gave him a hard whack to the back of his head. He found his voice. "What are you doing here? Wait, where am I?"

Sen laughed, his face much more carefree than when Naruto had met him in the astral plane. "Let me first congratulate you, Naruto."

Naruto was confused. "Congratulate me? For what?"

Sen grinned and leaned down so that they were eye-to-eye. "You passed."

That didn't really clarify things. "Passed? Passed what?"

"A test, of course," Kyuubi growled. Even though he hadn't been able to communicate with Naruto, he could figure out what had happened. Naruto had destroyed the box and his family with it. That had to have hurt him. _If this was all just a test, someone is going to pay._

Naruto frowned. "What does that mean? What was the test?"

_Damn, he's dense._ Kyuubi slowly stood so that he was eye-to-eye with Sen. "The _test _was that universe that you've lived in for so many weeks," he snarled, anger rising.

Sen switched his attention to Kyuubi. "Very clever deduction," he acknowledged. "But you do not know ever—"

"_A TEST?!?_" Naruto roared, the knowledge finally sinking in. Anger pumped through him, shoving aside the grief and sadness that had overwhelmed him moments ago. To think that his family, his life in that world was a test of some kind. With a bellow of rage, he tackled Sen to the ground and started pummeling him. "_What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think I'm some kind of plaything or pawn to be—LEMME GO!!!" _

Several of the other people in the room had their arms wrapped around Kyuubi and held him back as a huge man in armor lifted Naruto off of Sen. The blond thrashed about, howling in rage. Another man helped Sen wipe the blood off of his face.

A woman dressed in pale blue stepped forward and pressed a finger to Naruto's chest. "Be calm."

Naruto felt the fight drain out of his muscles. _Who was this woman? And what did she do to me? _

The woman frowned at him, a gentle reprimand. "You shouldn't jump to conclusions, Naruto."

The armored man put Naruto down on his feet, but the woman had taken too much energy and he slumped to the ground. He still glared, though, directing his anger at everyone in the room, save Kyuubi. If looks could kill, Sen would be a red misted memory right now. He looked to the woman who'd incapacitated him. "'Jump to conclusions?' How is it jumping to conclusions when he said it was a test?"

"You assume that we did it for our own purposes, but this was for your benefit," she answered, smiling. "Even though losing that family hurt."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, skeptical. He forced himself to calm down and think a little bit. These people knew about his family from the other world. How would they know that everything was different, unless they decided what was going to change? "Wait . . . you created the Box From Hell!"

"Actually, you could call it the Box From Heaven," Sen quipped, grinning cheerily again. Naruto snarled.

"Is that where we are?" Kyuubi interjected. "I know we're not in any place on earth, so are you claiming that this place is Heaven?"

The Blue woman laughed again. "No, of course not. Only the dead can enter Heaven. Neither of you are dead. This is merely a . . . meeting chamber."

"Why did you bring me here?" Naruto demanded. "Why didn't I return to my world when I destroyed that box?"

Another man behind Naruto laughed derisively at that. "You really are dumb, aren't you? How you managed to pass is beyond me."

Naruto twisted his head, enraged. He focused on a man wearing a long, dark red kimono and superior smirk, figuring he was the guilty one. Naruto started to yell at the man, but someone else beat him to the punch. "The test was not to measure his intellect, but his heart, Minowa. Or have you forgotten?"

The one named Minowa, who had laughed at Naruto, stood, his eyes flashing. "You weren't even around when we created this ritual, Sayu! Don't act like you're really one of us!"

"I am one of you!" Sayu shouted.

"Boys, stop it," the woman in blue commanded, holding up her hand.

Instantly, both fell silent. Another man, who had been sitting in a chair on a raised dais, stepped forward. "Thank you, Amarante," he said to the blue lady. She bowed and stepped aside to let him come to Naruto.

Naruto scowled up at him, appearing unimpressed. In truth, this man was intimidating him. Clearly, all of the other people respected him. He wore a white robe, belted loosely at the waist and trimmed with silver. His hair was black and fell around his face, but not enough to shadow his eyes. Though Naruto wasn't skilled with sensing chakra, he could feel the power coming off this man, radiating like physical waves. Withholding the snippy comments that had sprung to mind, Naruto remained silent.

"Naruto, I know that you are angry and upset right now, to say the least," the man said. "Would you grant us the chance to explain?"

The blond hesitated, considering his options. "Don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"You always have a choice, Naruto," the man said. "If you say the word, we can send you back to your world in an instant, but you'll lose an opportunity that has only come to one other in the history of the world."

Kyuubi sneered. "Forget it. Whatever this is, we don't want—"

"Fine," Naruto interrupted. "Explain."

Behind him, Kyuubi twitched at being interrupted, but decided that if the idiot wanted to hurt himself more, it was up to him.

The man smiled. "I believe you made the right decision. For starters, I will introduce myself. You may call me Samuru."

Kyuubi's eyes narrowed to slits. These people, they were so familiar to him. He felt like he should know them all, but there was something holding him back. Naruto had been right when he'd deduced that these people were responsible for the Box From Hell. Theirs was the chakra he'd felt, but he still couldn't place it. _Where? Where have I felt this chakra before? Why do I feel like I know these people? _

"It is very difficult to begin this story," Samuru said. "Well, let's start with the fact that you are a Jinchuuriki."

Naruto glared at the man. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," Samuru answered. "If you weren't, you certainly wouldn't be here and you wouldn't have encountered the Box From Hell, as you call it."

"Yeah, I know that much," he muttered. "It needed Kyuubi's power to change it—"

Samuru chuckled. "No, I promise, it did not."

Naruto's forehead creased. He was starting to get a headache. "Will you just explain what's going on already?"

"Of course, of course," he answered. "First, I must give you a small history lesson. It will be brief, I promise."

Samuru settled himself opposite Naruto on the floor and all the other people did the same around him. "Alright. Eons ago, when man was a small race on the earth, demons roamed freely. Demons, you must understand, are fickle creatures for the most part and needed constant guidance to control them. The gods saw this and chose nine demons to rule them. These demons were called the Biju."

At this, Naruto snapped his head around to face Kyuubi, who was frowning in confusion. "That does sound familiar," he admitted. "But it was millennia ago. I can't fully remember."

Naruto turned back to Samuru, who continued without prompting. "Eventually, humans discovered that they could use the demons for their own purposes, by sealing them in their fellow human beings. These people were hated and, well I don't suppose I need to tell you this."

"No, you don't," Naruto snapped. "Are you getting to the point yet?"

Samuru's lips twitched. "Be patient."

Naruto huffed.

"These Jinchuuriki, as they were called, often became consumed by hate and anger toward their people. The gods saw this and mourned. Once, a young Jinchuuriki was able to resist the hate and actually lived his life. He had friends, bonds that he cherished despite the demon he carried. This pleased the gods. Some gods, upon seeing this, said that he should be rewarded in some way for his strength. Others said that this was not enough and he should continue living without interference from the gods," Samuru said. He paused for a moment and Naruto wondered if this Jinchuuriki they were talking about was him.

"Finally, they decided on a compromise." The man picked up the story again. "Any Jinchuuriki that could resist the pull of the hate was considered to have passed the first test. He, or she, would then be put through a second test. It was more active, to determine if the bonds made were truly strong and real."

Pieces started to fall into place in Naruto's mind. Slowly, but they were still falling. Kyuubi had already figured it out. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"The test was the benefit of himself versus the benefit of his friends from the other world," Samuru finished, half a second after Naruto had figured that out.

Naruto clenched his hands. "So, that whole world, my family, none of it was real?"

"It was real to you," Samuru admitted. "But to the rest of the world, no. When you encountered the Box From Hell, as you call it, in the woods, we used it as a means to pull your consciousness here. Your body is in a coma, in a hospital I believe."

"So you interrupted my life to run this stupid test?" Naruto yelled, anger building rapidly. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Minowa threw his two cents in again. "Well, if you'd figured it out earlier, your petty life wouldn't be as interrupted."

Naruto leaped to his feet, having recovered fully from Amarante's influence. "Shut the hell up!" He tried to rush the arrogant man, but found himself once again restrained by the armored man.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to get away from the behemoth, Naruto stopped struggling and found himself back on the ground again. Still seething, he shot daggers at Minowa with his eyes, but directed his question to Samuru. "The blue lady—Ama-something, she said this was all for my benefit," he bit out. "I'm not seeing that."

Samuru smiled. "I said that if the Jinchuuriki passed the first two tests, he would be rewarded," he reminded Naruto.

"With what?" Naruto asked. "Eternal life or something?"

"No, each case is decided individually," Samuru said. "We try to offer that which would mean most to you. In your case, it is the chance to have a family."

"_I had a family!"_ Naruto bellowed. "_Dad, Mom, Tama, Kenji and Raidon!"_

Sayu stepped in. "They weren't yours, they came at the price of your friends' happiness. What you could have would be yours free and clear, in the world where your friends are healthy, alive and happy as well."

Naruto stared at him, eyes wide as he slowly processed what the man was saying. "So, it would be like moving my family into the original world?"

"Not exactly," Samuru informed him. "You see, your younger brothers, Kenji and Raidon, were never born in your world. There is nothing for that. Your father, on the other hand, we can do something about. You have the chance to return him to your world."

The Chuunin frowned deeply. "But what about my mom and Tama? Is there any way that I can bring them?"

Samuru smiled. "Oh, they are already alive in your world. You just have to find them when you get back," he explained. "But about your father, do you want to save him?"

"Save him from what? I don't understand," Naruto scrunched up his nose.

"From me."

Naruto spun to the sound of the voice and saw a tall, willowy woman. She seemed to melt out of the shadows. Naruto couldn't quite tell what color her dress was, or her hair. They seemed to shift and be every color at once, as if each strand was a rainbow that changed color every second. Her eyes, though, he could tell were silver, like looking into a mirror. The other people in the room, gave her a wide berth as she advanced to Naruto.

He gulped hard. "W-who are you?"

Kyuubi stared at the woman in fascination. She was the most familiar of them all. He knew her, he _knew _her, but he couldn't remember how or where.

The woman smiled. Naruto shivered. "You may call me . . . Kagami for now. But most know me as the Shinigami."

Naruto blinked. "What? You're saying you're the death god?"

She twitched. "Goddess."

Kyuubi glanced over the room, finally figuring out who all these people were. "So, you are the gods."

"It's about time you figured it out, Kyuubi," Minowa muttered. "His stupidity is rubbing off on you."

Naruto stared at the people in the room. Samuru smiled at him again. "It's true. We've just given ourselves forms and names that you can comprehend."

"What if you hadn't?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head.

"You'd go mad," Samuru answered. "Or die."

Naruto folded his arms across his chest and considered each of the gods and goddesses in turn. Kyuubi frowned, worrying that Naruto might break a blood vessel from thinking so hard and being so quiet. Finally he came to the Shinigami, or Kagami as she had labeled herself. "Why are you a girl?" he demanded.

Kagami rolled her eyes. "It's what your mind interpreted me as. It's not my fault."

Naruto puffed his cheeks out at her. "I still don't get it."

"I'm a temperamental creature," she answered. "I'll let dictators live to be eighty but take a nurse for sick children when she's twenty-five. You see women as equally fickle and incomprehensible, so I appear as one to you."

The blond considered that, decided that her explanation made enough sense to move on, and asked another question. "So, you said that my father needed to be saved from you. Why?"

"The seal," Kyuubi answered. "Remember when we talked about it? I said that the price of calling upon the Shinigami is the soul of the sealer. Your father's soul was consumed by the Shinigami, doomed to eternal combat."

Naruto turned to Samuru. He tried to form words several times, until again, Kyuubi slapped him on the back of the head. "Are you saying that I can get my father out of—" At a loss for words again, he just pointed at Kagami's stomach.

Samuru grinned. "Indeed. That is what we are saying."

* * *

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* * *

So. Yeah. Questions, comments, complaints, etc. Put them in a review. See, I'm not sure how you guys are going to react. I've mentioned it before. My plot bunnies are addicted to crack. 

I gave the gods names because I didn't want to accidentally mess up the Japanese religion/myth system. I'm not familiar with it, so I just made them all ambiguous.

Oh, and the 'red misted memory' comment came from the Marine Officer Instructor at my ROTC. He's awesome like that.

The first part wasn't supposed to take that long, but I really enjoyed writing it and it would mean more if you guys got invested in the characters as well, plus there are things I needed to set up for part 3. Yes, there will be a part 3.

So, tell me:D


	4. Chapter 3

Okay, Chapter 3 is up! I had to finish my report on the study abroad to London, which is why it took so long to get this out.

This is the bit that I'm _really _not sure will go over. It never made sense to me that 1) Kyuubi would appear out of _nowhere, _something I mentioned in 'If Only' and 2) that no reason has been given. Kyuubi is obviously intelligent, he doesn't move without reason. So, like so many others, I have come up with an explanation. It is most assuredly not right, but it is part of a larger thing, again relating to part 3. I've got this whole plot planned for ages and ages.

**Spoiler. **About Jiraiya. cries a little bit I would do a one-shot to honor him, but I have no ideas and there are going to be so many of those next, another one will just clog things up. A moment of silence for the great Gama-Sannin. He will be missed. **End.**

The next one probably won't be up until after Christmas, so Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza, Ramadan, anything I missed, enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Sadly. Maybe I'll get it for Christmas . . .

Chapter 3

Kyuubi sighed heavily as he watched Naruto struggle to understand the situation. He was getting seriously worried that his little blond head might explode. Out of nowhere, Naruto lowered his hand, which had been scratching his head. Slowly, his raised his eyes and locked them with Samuru.

The demon snickered. _I knew the kit would do this. _

"What the _hell _is wrong with you?" Naruto shouted suddenly. "Messing with my life like that? Who gave you the right—"

"We are the gods, _human," _Minowa interrupted him. "No one _gave _us the right. It is ours by nature."

Silence reigned in the chamber.

_"So what!" _Naruto screamed.

The gods seemed taken aback. No one had dared to speak to them since, well, forever.

"What kind of freaks are you?" Naruto shouted. "You kill my dad, then bring him back to life for this test, then _I _have to kill him, only so that I can bring him back to life again?! What the hell?"

The only sound in the room was Naruto gasping for breath after his mini-tirade. "Are you done?" Samuru asked.

"I should just ask to go back to my world, just to spite you all!" Naruto threatened.

Minowa rolled his eyes. "Go ahead, we don't care."

The other gods made noise of assent. Naruto glared at the gods, who just looked back, indifferent. He sat down and folded his arms, staring resolutely to the left of Samuru's legs. Kyuubi scratched his nose in boredom. "Can we move on?"

Everyone looked to Naruto, who continued to ignore them all. Finally, Kagami slid up to him and whispered in his ear. "Listen, idiot, we're gods, which means that time has no meaning for us," she hissed. "But the longer your father spends in my stomach, the less chance you have of _truly _saving him at all."

Naruto fumed for a couple seconds more. _Damn. Damn, damn, damn—_followed by a number of other unsavory words. Eventually, he stood back up.

"I'll do it," Naruto snapped grudgingly. "So . . . what do I have to do to save my dad?"

Kagami rolled her eyes. "You haven't figured it out yet?"

Naruto resisted the urge to snarl at her; that would only get him started on another rant. "What, are we gonna travel back in time or something?"

The gods all laughed and Naruto thought his eardrums would explode. The meeting chamber seemed to amplify things tremendously. He clenched his hands and bellowed, "_Quit laughing at me!"_

"No, we won't send you back in time," Samuru answered, once the gods had calmed down. "Then you wouldn't be a Jinchuuriki and you wouldn't have passed the tests and all of this would be in vain."

Naruto scrunched up his face in confusion. "Then what?"

"We will send you into the stomach of the Shinigami," Samuru replied. "There will be one meeting place, where if you get there, with your father, and say the appropriate phrase, you will come back out, with Namikaze Minato."

Kagami laughed at the boy's predicament and slid up next to him. "Yes, if you agree, I get to _swallow _you."

The demon fox rolled his eyes and Naruto frowned. He got the feeling that the goddess had meant something more than letting him save his father, but he wasn't sure what. Naruto put it out of his mind and faced Samuru. "I'll do whatever it takes to save my dad."

A murmur ran through the deities standing around. Apparently, some had been expecting him to refuse. Naruto scowled at them and folded his arms. As if!

"You do understand that it will be hard," Samuru warned. "The realm inside the Shinigami's stomach is not welcoming. It will try to destroy you."

"I don't care," Naruto replied. "I just said, I'll do whatever I have to do save my dad!"

Samuru smiled. "That's good. That's what I was hoping to hear. There are a few things that we need to explain before you go, however."

"This won't take long, will it?" Naruto demanded.

"That would depend on how cooperative Kyuubi is," Minowa answered.

Kyuubi frowned, or rather, deepened the frown that had settled on his face from the moment he'd awoken. "What are you talking about?"

"First," Samuru interrupted. "Both of you will have to go. Your souls are still bound together, so where you go, Naruto, Kyuubi goes."

Naruto nodded and Kyuubi bristled. _Does he really expect me to save the man who sealed me in his brat? _He would have protested, but the god threw a fairly distracting curveball at him.

"Kyuubi, do you remember Uchiha Madara?" Samuru asked.

The fox growled, lips pulled back into a ferocious snarl. "Of course I do. He's the first human with chakra more evil than mine. Your 'friend' Sasuke is the second," he said to Naruto. "What about Uchiha Madara?"

Samuru ignored Kyuubi's question and turned to Naruto. "Do you see the chains around Kyuubi?"

Naruto nodded; he'd noticed them when he'd first seen Kyuubi. Heavy, iron chains that were wrapped around the kitsune's figure. Yet, Kyuubi didn't notice them at all. He had made no mention of them, he moved without adapting for the weight.

Kyuubi snarled at the two. "What chains are you talking about?"

"You'll see in a minute," Samuru asked. "First, why did you attack Konoha?"

At this question, several things happened. First, for half a second, Kyuubi's eyes flashed with something like mad grief. Then, the chains tightened so quick they cut into the fox's flesh. Lastly, the odd look in his eyes was replaced by arrogance and indifference.

He shrugged. "I felt like it."

With a smirk, Samuru turned to Naruto. "Did you see that?"

Naruto scratched his head as the chains relaxed around Kyuubi. "Yeah. Why did they do that?"

"Look closely at the chains, Naruto," Sayu said. He had come up and was eyeing them with distaste. "You'll see something very interesting."

The blond stepped forward and bent down to look at one of the links. "Kit," Kyuubi growled above them. "What are they talking about?"

Naruto ignored him and lifted the chain to peer at it in the light. His eyes widened as he saw the repeating pattern on it and the underlying red glow. He snapped his head around to Samuru, blue eyes shocked and questioning. Wheels started to turn slowly in his head.

Samuru nodded. "You see it as well, then."

The only human in the room nodded, still dumbstruck.

Anger swept through the meeting chamber. Naruto shuddered as he felt the malice in it. _Kyuubi__. He's mad at being ignored_He turned to see that Kyuubi's golden eyes were now blood red, and the whisker marks were dark and thick. The chakra he was pumping out hurt Naruto's lungs, his skin, his eyes. He wanted to run away, somewhere safe and secure. In the back of his mind, he heard sounds. The roar of a monster and the screams of the dying, the sound of the earth trembling in fear and the wind obeying to the red demon, the rending of trees and bodies, the powerful, final battle cry of—

"Look at the chains again," Samuru whispered in Naruto's ear, bringing him back to the meeting chamber.

Naruto forced the terror and pain aside and obeyed. As Kyuubi's rage and hatred increased, the chains began to glow red and the pattern he'd seen morphed into another, more dreadful one. It was as though they were feeding off Kyuubi's emotions, and at the same time amplifying them.

_"You."_

Kyuubi's voice shook Naruto to the bones. It made him want to curl up into a ball until the demon's attention was on someone else. It made him want to rip his ears off and scream until he couldn't hear it anymore. The power in it made him itch in places that couldn't be scratched, like right behind his spinal cord and the edges of his brain.

_"Will answer my questions."_

It was not the request of a visitor, nor was it the demand of a temperamental child. The sentence was the command of a powerful being, accustomed to being respected, feared and obeyed. Again, it took all of Naruto's concentration not to simply fall to his knees and babble out answers, like 'Forty-two.'

Instead, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and did what Samuru had told him before. The chains that had encircled Kyuubi were getting heavier and heavier. Naruto could see that the fox's shoulders were hunching slowly; he was being pulled down by his own malevolence and spite, where he should have been standing tall and proud, like the imperial, imperious being that he was.

Amarante laughed softly to herself. "Yes, Little Fox, we will."

With that, the woman stepped forward and grabbed hold of one of the chains.

Kyuubi glared full force at the woman, who was holding something invisible in front of him. She didn't seem affected. _Naruto, though,_ he thought with a grin, turning his piercing gaze back to the boy. The blond was sweating, shaking in his sandals. He grinned fiercely, fangs protruding from his mouth. _I wonder if he's messed himself yet? _

_Well, serves the brat right for ignoring me. _

_No one ignores Kyuubi no Yoko. _

His attention was drawn back to the blue lady as she began to tug on something. _Perhaps the chains that the brat was looking at. _Pain shot through him as she pulled harder on that something. _What the hell? _

Naruto focused on the chains, with the Mangekyo Sharingan symbol whirling madly on them. They started to change again, as Amarante pulled harder on them. Naruto winced as the chains started to again dig into Kyuubi. The demon, for his part, growled and hissed.

Kyuubi tried not to show it, but his body was hurting like _hell _when Amarante was pulling on the invisible something. It felt like something was trying to rip him to shreds. He felt his wrath building exponentially with each tug she made. Some small part of him knew, as his bloodlust increased, that he shouldn't be this angry over a little pain. He _shouldn't _be feeling like he wanted to rip Amarante and every other person in the room to pieces and bathe in their blood.

But he did.

_Don't run. Don't run. Don't run. _Naruto was keeping up that chant in his head as he felt the fury in the air swell to the point of suffocation. _Don't run. _

Some of the other gods ran forward as Kyuubi's fangs and nails lengthened. There were cries of holding him down, keeping him back. Amarante spared a glance at Kyuubi, then gave one great, final tug.

The chains shattered into a million pieces, red glowing and covered in the tomoe of the Mangekyo Sharingan. Naruto staggered back. _If those hit me, if they hurt me— _

Kyuubi howled and Naruto forgot all about the sharp bits of chain hurling at him.

Kyuubi convulsed where he stood. Dimly, he heard someone screaming in the background. He was being ripped to shreds; painful, agonizing fire was ripping through every part of him, each individual flame tearing him apart and moving towards one central place. He could feel them, racing up his body, starting to build in intensity and heat. Finally, they formed one giant conflagration and shot up his spine into his head. He felt walls and gates in his mind burning to ashes, doors that had been locked for years, crumbling in the fire.

Then he was—

_—looking into concerned, angry blue eyes—_

_—facing the wise, intense eyes of the old man—_

_—giggling as the two of them looked into the bathhouse—_

_—watching in amazement as the fiery redhead's hands glowed with chakra—_

_—fighting fiercely against the men who moved through the earth—_

_—comforting his friend in his loss—_

_—purring happily as her six and his nine wound together—_

_—getting drunk as they both celebrated impending fatherhood—_

_—listening to her cries of pain and joy as she brought them—_

_—feeling his heart swell with love and pride as they walked—_

_—falling into spinning red and laughing gold eyes—_

_—angry, Angry, _Angry ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY—

Naruto slapped his hands over his ears as Kyuubi continued to howl. This wasn't like before when Kyuubi hurt his ears and his brain. This time, the sound of Kyuubi made his heart wrench in his chest. He would do anything to make it stop. No one could be in that much pain and live, except that Kyuubi was and he was sending his anguish out to everyone else.

* * *

The monitors went into overload as Naruto started to shake on the bed. 

Nurses rushed in, calling for someone to get Tsunade and _hurry, for the gods' sakes. _

Sakura tried to get in, but was pushed back. She was too close to him and not experienced enough. The pink-haired girl fell into a chair as she listened to the mad beeping of the heart monitor and the quick orders of the nurses.

_Oh, god, no, please, no._

* * *

"_Oh, god, no, please, no."_

Samuru sighed and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, calming him instantly. He stopped his thrashing and wailing and started to breathe normally.

* * *

Tsunade came into the room just as whatever had its hand on the blond let him go. He slumped back into the bed, still unconscious. 

_"What the hell just happened?" _

* * *

Naruto closed his eyes to stop the tears as Kyuubi continued to howl. Eventually, the howls turned to sobs and the kitsune fell to his knees, curling into a ball, hands and jaw clenched. Tears flowed unchecked and hit the ground. Gradually, Kyuubi's breathing changed. It became more controlled, deeper and yet somehow more ragged, if possible. He lifted his head and looked into the middle distance, seeing something in his mind's eye. His lips drew back into a feral snarl. 

_"Madara."_

The meeting chamber shook at Kyuubi's hatred. This was different from before. Naruto was reminded of one time Kakashi had tried to teach him about the power of wind.

_The force of something is determined by its speed and surface area. If take a gale force wind and compress it, but keep the speed the same, the smaller it becomes, the more devastating it is. _

Naruto shuddered as he thought of the incredible power of Kyuubi's wrath concentrated on one thing, or worse, one person. He scrambled back again, and drew Kyuubi's attention to him.

Kyuubi saw the blond hair, the blue eyes. "Minato?"

"Huh?" Blue eyes blinked in confusion as Kyuubi's rage dissipated slightly. "No, I'm Naruto. The brat you've been sealed in for sixteen years, remember?"

Kyuubi slowly sat up, staring intently at Naruto. _Sealed? Yes, I remember being sealed. By . . . Minato._

_"This is for you and him. Forgive me."_

_Minato . . ._

_Shit. _

Kyuubi clenched his hands on his thighs, his claws digging into his palms.He breathed deep, to control his rage. Minato was dead, had died to protect him, the Village, and his son. But now he had a chance to get him back, to atone for what he'd done.

To make those bastards pay.

He pushed himself to his feet and faced Samuru, grinning. "So, how are we gonna do this?"

Naruto looked between the grinning Kyuubi and the smug-looking Samuru. "Okay, what just happened?"

"I'll explain later, kit," Kyuubi responded. "Get up. We can't keep wasting time. Every second in there hurts Minato even more."

Scrambling to his feet, Naruto stepped up to Kyuubi's side. "I'm ready."

"You'd better be, Naruto," Kyuubi growled, his eyes golden once more and serious.

"One thing," Samuru said. "You will have access to all of your jutsus, and you will have to fight some things to get to your father. Once you come out of the Shinigami's belly, you cannot go back in. If you find it too hard, and leave to save yourself, you will not be allowed another chance."

Samuru stopped talking for a second, looking Naruto straight in the eye. "This is a one-time deal, Naruto."

The weight of his situation rested upon Naruto, but he straightened his spine and thrust his chin out. "Got it."

"Good," Samuru nodded. "Whenever you're ready, Kagami."

Kagami laughed to herself. Slowly, her odd hair began to go white and her skin took on a purplish hue. Her dress of black turned to baggy white robes. She held a knife in her mouth and prayer beads in her hands.

"This is what your dad saw when he sealed me," Kyuubi told Naruto. "Needless to say, he was uncommonly brave. For a human. Alright, Shinigami. _Eat me!"_"

_Dad . . . sealed. _In Naruto's mind's eye, two Namikaze Minatos appeared. One was his father, the man who'd protected him in the other world, who'd taught him how to repair logs and pulled him out of the fissure. The other was the Fourth Hokage, who'd sealed a demon in him and then abandoned him for Death. Before Naruto could think on this, the Shinigami grabbed hold of him.

Ice shot through Naruto at her touch. The world took on a darker cast, as though he was looking at it through sunglasses. Sounds became muffled as she lifted him and Kyuubi to her gaping mouth. Naruto closed his eyes.

* * *

Sakura frowned in concern as Naruto's hand grew colder. She had come in to hold it after his unexplainable seizure and it suddenly got colder. 

She pressed a hand to his forehead and discovered that indeed, his body temperature was down.

The medic-in-training stood up and ran to the nurses' station. "Please, get Tsunade-sama. Something is going on with Naruto."

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* * *

**Spoiler. **Yes, that's it. There really wasn't much of a chance to mention how Jiraiya's death affected everyone, that will come in next chapter. **End**

I know that the reason for Kyuubi's attack has been over done, but give me a chance. Thank you!

And I can't believe it! I love you guys! Less than a week and "Belly of the Beast" has over 100 reviews! Wow! Hugs for everyone! (Keep it up:P)


	5. Interlude I

I hope everyone had happy holidays! I did. Except my mom got me that Tide stain pen and some cleaning wipes. She got me other stuff, too, but that was like wtf?

Aaaaanyway . . .

A lot of you pointed out that the manga hasn't confirmed that Jiraiya is dead. I really hope he's not, and I haven't decided if Dead Jiraiya or Alive Jiraiya would have more of an impact, provide more character development. All that Jazz.

This is another interlude, in the same theme as the prologue.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. :(

_Interlude _

_He would never forget it. __The feeling of the hand reaching into him, through him to the beast.__ The hand was a void. For the few terrible moments that it was inside him, he feared that he would be sucked into it and would fail. _

_Fail everyone._

_But he held on. He completed his task._

_He didn't fail. _

_Now, he felt it again. _

_It was that terrible void, trying to creep into him, take him over. __He hadn't noticed it at first. It was so subtle, so slow. He fought for his life, to preserve himself, but the more he fought, the more it slid inside. _

_So he switched to hiding._

_But that didn't work. The only way to hide was to blend in with it, which only encouraged the void to wrap around him more. _

_He shuddered as he felt the cold—it was always the cold, for him. He wished he'd been fire, to fight off the cold, but he wasn't._

_He was lightning. _

_She'd compared him more to a thunderstorm than mere lightning. "You rush in with a great noise and fanfare, ripping things apart and redoing them as you see fit." A thunderstorm was always loud, with the smash of thunder and the roar of wind. Sometimes it was light during the day, sometimes it was dark during the night. But a thunderstorm was always, always cold. _

_He'd occasionally get white-hot with anger, but mostly his rage was cold, cold as ice. He'd been told that hi__s face would get stony and cold. In battles, he would be the void. He would be silent, cold and dark. __Dark with their blood, dark with the guilt._

_He struggled, struggled against the void and against his own nature. But with the struggle, he turned more and more like the void._

_So he thought of her. __His fire, his antithesis, his everything._

_She kept him warm, she made him laugh, __she__ brought him into the sun._

He_ was the perfect blend of them: fire and ice. _He _was perfect, in every way. _

_The void was shoved back at the thought of _him. _The void couldn't handle _him. He _was warm, light and loud. Oh, so much. __A tiny warm bundle, the brightest hair, the loudest cries in the world._

_The void had no answer, no way to fight those memories._

_He thought of them. __The two brightest spots in his existence._

_The Realm did not succeed. _

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* * *

Yeah, it's pretty obvious who it is, if you read carefully.

Oh, are any of you Harry Potter and X-Men fans? If you are, I'd like to bounce an idea off of you. I asked my sister, but she's usually not a good critic. Thank you!

Happy Boxing Day!


	6. Chapter 4

Yo! How are all of you? I am doing fine, thank you for asking. Tomorrow's my birthday! I'll be 19 years old. Wow. Almost two decades!

Okay, for the purposes of this story, I decided that Jiraiya isn't dead. I like it better that way and I've already split with canon (ages ago). So, the pervy old man lives!

You all know I don't own Naruto, but I do own a story I'll be posting soon on FictionPress .com.

On to the chapter!

Chapter 4

Tsunade rubbed her hands over her face. She knew she looked like hell. Her hair had long since fallen out of its two ponytails. She'd gotten fed up with the blonde locks hanging in her face soon after and pulled it back into a braid. There were dark circles under her eyes and she hadn't slept in at least two days. If she kept this up any longer, her jutsu would start to fail. Then she really would be an old hag.

_Old hag . . . Naruto . . . _Tsunade pushed aside the fatigue at this and stood up to look for more books. There had to be something, _anything, _to explain why Naruto had fallen into this coma, why he'd had a seizure, and why his temperature had suddenly dropped.

Of course, Naruto wasn't her only worry now. She now had to take care of another patient, who also happened to be in a coma. At least she knew why he was in a coma.

_Extreme blood loss. Water in his lungs. Damaged kidney, __punctured lung, ruptured small intestine. Possible brain damage. _

_Why didn't you call me, Jiraiya?_

As much as she wanted to do something to help Jiraiya, she knew that now, it was up to him. Tsunade had done everything she could to save him. If he wanted to live, he would find a way. For all her super strength, all her chakra control, all of her 'medical genius,' she was useless.

* * *

Naruto half expected teeth to graze his back as the Shinigami ate him. He didn't feel that, but he did hear Sen shouting, "By the way, the key phrase is 'There's no place like home!'"

The blond didn't have time to contemplate the phrase before he was being squeezed and compressed tightly. Something hard suddenly pressed into his face as he was going down and it took him a minute to realize it was Kyuubi's knee. With a muffled groan, he tried readjusting his head, but something—probably Kyuubi's foot—landed in his stomach and he lost his breath.

Before he could complain, or think about complaining, he and Kyuubi were freefalling. Naruto opened his eyes, which had been closed this whole time, and saw bare earth rushing up at him. _Oh, crap!_

There were two heavy _thuds _as Kyuubi and Naruto landed roughly. With a groan, Naruto rolled onto his back. "There's no place like home?" he muttered. "What the hell kind _mph!"_

"Shut up!" Kyuubi hissed in his ear, hand clamped securely over his mouth. "We are in the Shinigami's stomach, or did you simply forget that this whole place is a free-for-all battleground?"

Naruto froze and, now that Kyuubi had reminded him, he could indeed hear the sounds of battle across the wherever they were. "Now," Kyuubi growled in his ear. "Is Naruto going to be his usual loud, clumsy self?"

The blond glared at the patronizing tone but shook his head anyway. As soon as the fox removed his hand, Naruto wiped at his mouth frantically. _Hand tastes gross. _He took a glance around where they were. From what he could see in the extremely dim light, it was all ravines and canyons, sharp cliffs dropping into darkness. Naruto felt dizzy, like he was standing on a precipice and might fall at any moment.

"The Shinigami is the god of death," Kyuubi murmured to Naruto, seeing his loss equilibrium. "Death is darkness, stillness, consumption. Death is yin, if you want to look at it like that. Another reason you saw Kagami as female—yin is feminine. In the presence of yang, in your mortal world, it learned to be submissive."

Naruto shook his head. "Okay, where are you going with this? Can't we just find my dad and get out?"

Kyuubi grabbed Naruto's shoulder, his claws digging in ever so slightly. "No, there is something you must understand. The yin was submissive only when it was balanced with yang. Here, there is no balance. If it can, this place will try to consume you, to turn you like it. We must be quick, and . . ."

"And what?" Naruto asked, looking back to his constant companion. "What is it?"

"The length that Minato has been in here," Kyuubi started slowly. "He may have succumbed to this place."

Naruto frowned. "What does that mean?"

Kyuubi sighed and rolled his eyes. "By their nature, humans are yang. They are always moving, always changing, seeking to improve themselves."

Naruto still wasn't getting it. "Huh?"

Kyuubi took a quick glance around, making sure that nothing would attack them soon. "If we find him, he may no longer be human. In that case, you must be prepared to leave him."

He gave Naruto half a second to absorb this, before he was tugging Naruto to his feet. "Come on, we need to move."

Naruto and Kyuubi began to stagger across the realm's rough terrain. Well, Naruto was staggering. He still had bouts of dizziness and several times, Kyuubi had to convince him that he wasn't going to fall down a cliff with his next step. Eventually, they found a niche in one of the many ravines, although Kyuubi had to carry Naruto down or the blond would have fallen to his death.

"Just lie down," Kyuubi advised once they were safe. "You'll adapt soon enough."

Naruto moaned and closed his eyes, but that only made the spinning worse. He reopened his eyes and focused on a funny shaped rock in the top of the cave. "Doesn't that mean that I'm . . ." He paused to fight down the urge to puke as the world rolled beneath him. ". . . succumbing or something."

Kyuubi sighed heavily. "No. Think of the saddest thing you've ever known."

The Chuunin made a face. "Why?"

"It affects you, right?" Kyuubi asked. "You feel sad, like you're about to cry."

". . . no," Naruto muttered.

Kyuubi rolled his eyes at the boy's stubbornness. "You're lying. You do want to cry, or break something. It's your emotional response. When you can answer 'no' and mean it, we've got a problem."

"What about you?" Naruto asked.

"Believe me," Kyuubi snorted. "There's no chance of me becoming emotionless right now."

Naruto frowned at Kyuubi. "What does that mean? And do you know why you attacked Konoha? And why did you call me 'Minato' when you saw me? And why do you look like Hideharu? And—"

"Do you want me to answer or would you just like to keep babbling?" Kyuubi interrupted, raising one eyebrow.

The blond screwed his eyes shut, remembered that made him sick and opened them again. "Okay, uh . . . I don't know, pick one to answer."

The demon fox sighed, scratching his chin. "Well, I guess it would be easiest to start at the beginning . . ."

Naruto groaned. "Oh, man, is this gonna take forever, since you're so old? And if it is, can we find food some way?"

"First, we don't need food. Only our souls are here. Your physical body is back in Konoha, probably. And second, I'm not talking about my whole life's story. You'd live a thousand lifetimes before I even came to your century." Kyuubi shifted and settled down in the perfect position to speak to Naruto and keep an eye on the entrance to their cave shelter. "We'll start with when I met your father."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You mean when you attacked Konoha?"

Kyuubi shook his head, sneering. "No, this started nearly twenty years before, but it did involve . . .

* * *

_. . . stupid villagers! _ The small red fox hurtled through the trees and shrubs, trying to shake off the villagers. It was a whole crowd of them, chasing after him with pitchforks and torches. And he couldn't get rid of them. He'd run through streams, up and across trees, doubling back and going in circles, but the persistent idiots were remarkably and unfortunately skilled at tracking.

_Who'd have thought they would be so angry? It was only a couple of chickens._

_Okay, it was the whole coop, but I only _ate _two. __The rest just panicked themselves to death._

Kyuubi's ears twitched as he heard the baying of hounds. _So that's how they're doing it. They've pulled out the dogs. Fantastic. Inari, any chance you could lend me a hand? _

Suddenly, he found that there was no more ground under his feet. His golden eyes blinked at the retreating bed of dirt and leaves, and he barely registered the hand grabbing his scruff. He tensed when he realized what that hand could mean. _Well, either Inari actually gave me a hand and I'm being saved or she ignored me and some idiot villager just caught the great Kyuubi. _

Another hand settled in around his midsection and turned him around. To Kyuubi's surprise, the hands belonged to neither the beautiful Inari nor an enraged now-chicken-less farmer, but a boy. The boy had bright blond hair, tanned skin and laughing blue eyes.

Kyuubi tilted his head and yipped, attempting to be cute. The boy laughed. "You're kinda cute," he admitted. "But you look like a troublemaker."

The smile fled from his face as the sounds of angry shouts and barking dogs came to him. His face continued to fall until he wore a frown, golden brows drawn together. His eyes switched to the fox in his hands. "Are they after you?"

Kyuubi nodded and glanced back nervously. He didn't realize how odd it was to see a small woodland animal answering questions until he faced the boy and saw his wide, wide eyes. "You understand me?" he whispered.

The sounds of the pursuers got louder as they broke through a line of trees somewhere. Kyuubi tensed, knowing that they were on the other side of the river, barely fifty feet away. Right now, his fate was in the boy's hands. _Oh, what the hell? He could just throw me to the dogs no matter what I do. _With that, Kyuubi nodded again.

The boy's eyes bugged out, amazed by this. "Oh, I gotta show you to Grandpa!"

With that, the boy tucked his newfound fox under his arm and started to run. "We can't let them hurt you," he whispered in Kyuubi's ear. "Don't worry, they won't kill you."

_No, _Kyuubi mused. _They won't. They can certainly hurt me, but it would take much more than what those simpletons could conjure to kill me. _

To his surprise, as the boy ran, Kyuubi wasn't jostled too much. The blond's gait was smooth and practiced, and he ran much faster than the average eight year old, which is how old the boy looked. The fox's suspicions were confirmed as the boy ran straight up a tree trunk, then across its branches and onto another.

_Aw, how adorable. I've been rescued by a ninja wannabe. _Kyuubi sighed again as the boy made a fantastic leap from one tree to the next, completely bypassing the branches. After a while, he came up to a large cottage in a clearing. It was quite lovely. Picturesque, really. There was a stream running a little ways off that Kyuubi strongly suspected was the same river he'd splashed through several times during the chase. There were all sorts of flowers and shrubs around the front, and Kyuubi could see a vegetable garden in the back. He sneered at the prettiness of it all.

The boy ran up to the door, now acting much more like the boy he actually was. "Grandpa! Grandpa!"

He banged open the door and hurried inside, locking the door securely and placing Kyuubi on the floor. "Alright, be good now. If you tear anything up, I'll be in big trouble!"

With that, the boy sprinted off into the interior of the house, bellowing again for his grandfather.

_I could just escape . . . _Kyuubi thought, eyeing the open window. _He locks the door, but forgets to close the window. _

Instead of jumping out the window, and into sure danger, Kyuubi prowled around the living room to the cottage he'd been taken to. There was a brick fireplace, painted bright red, no doubt by the blond boy. A few chairs and one low couch were scattered around, but mostly there was plenty of open space, again probably for the boy to play or run around. Framed pictures were hung all around the room, on every wall. There were a ton of photographs of the blond boy, ranging from embarrassing baby bathtub shots to 'look-at-my-new-jutsu' shots. Kyuubi padded over to a section that had two extra people in every photo, but before he could get a good look, the blond boy came banging back into the house.

"He's in here, Grandpa! In here!" The boy appeared in the door, tugging desperately on something that simply refused to move as fast as he wanted it to.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" An old man, featured in several of the hung pictures, stepped into the room and knelt down in front of the small fox. He turned to the boy. "You said he answered questions, Minato?"

_Blondie has a name. _Minato, as he was called, nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, yeah, ask him a question. He'll answer by nodding his head!"

The old man scratched his chin, considering the red fox sitting complacently in his front room. "You see, Minato, average foxes cannot answer questions."

"I know!" Minato whined. "I'm not lying, Grandpa!"

Grandpa raised a hand. "I believe you, Minato. Only demon foxes or summonings have the capability to understand us. Since he is running free, and cannot _speak_ our language, I must surmise that he is a demon fox, in disguise. Furthermore, only those foxes with above five tails can change their form at will."

"So, what does all of that meeeeean?" Minato stamped his feet impatiently.

"Little Fox, would you please tap your paw on the ground once for every tail you have?" Grandpa asked.

_I think I rather like this man. _Kyuubi decided. He raised his paw and began to tap it slowly and methodically. Minato counted along.

"One . . . two . . . three . . . four."

He was practically jumping out of his skin with excitement.

"Five . . . six . . . seven . . . eight."

Grandpa's eyes widened until Kyuubi thought they would pop out of his head. Wishing he could smirk, the fox raised his paw and brought it down one more time.

"Nine!"

Minato waited with baited breath for another to fall, but it didn't. Kyuubi kept his eyes on Grandpa, watching the old man's wheels turn.

"He has nine tails, Grandpa?" Minato bubbled excitedly. "What does that mean?"

Grandpa scratched his chin. "It could mean quite a lot, provided he is telling the truth," he said.

"Why would he lie, Grandpa?" the boy demanded, getting on hands and knees and staring Kyuubi in the eye.

Grandpa shrugged and stood up. "Why not?"

_Oh, I do like him. _Kyuubi decided.

The old man walked out of the room and Minato continued to stare at the little fox he'd found. "If we let you stay," he whispered. "Are you gonna hurt my Grandpa?"

_Interesting that he would ask about his grandfather and not himself. _Kyuubi shook his head.

Minato considered this, eyes serious and lips pursed. "Okay, but if you ever do, I don't care how many tails you have, I'll hurt you!"

Inwardly, Kyuubi raised an eyebrow at this. Someone would dare to threaten the great Kyuubi no Yoko? If this boy had an inkling of what power he was staring in the eye . . .

The fox searched the blond's eyes again and grinned in approval. _He would still fight me. He has that awful human stubbornness, but more than that, he has quite the block-headed need to protect those he loves, no matter how powerful the being threatening them._

"GRANDPA!" Minato bellowed. Kyuubi's fox ears rang and he struggled to make out what the boy yelled next. "Can we keep him?"

"No," Grandpa called. "But we can let him stay as long as he likes."

The old man walked back in with a plate of meat. Kyuubi started to drool. "I presume you are a he?"

Kyuubi nodded and licked his lips, eyeing that plate of delicious-looking meat. Grandpa chuckled. "I guessed you liked chicken." He set the plate down with a twinkle in his eyes that said he knew exactly what the fox had been running from.

With that thought, he pounced on the chicken.

* * *

"You like chicken?" Naruto asked.

Kyuubi nodded, still caught up in the memory. "Yeah, especially fresh chickens. But then you have to pick the feathers out of your teeth."

Naruto made a face. "Eeeew."

Kyuubi nodded. "Yeah. That's pretty gross, especially when you're trying to impress a vixen over dinner." He surveyed Naruto. "You feeling well enough to do a couple of tracking spells, kit?"

Naruto stood up slowly, checking if he felt dizzy. When he didn't sway or get nauseous, he flashed a thumbs up to Kyuubi. "I'm all better!" he shouted happily.

In an instant, Kyuubi was on him, a hand again clamped tight over his mouth. "Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"

_Oh, yeah, we're in danger. _Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and muttered a 'sorry' as soon as Kyuubi removed his hand.

"Don't apologize," Kyuubi snarled. "Get moving, _quietly,_and keep alert for any attacks. You've probably just attracted far too much attention than we can afford."

Kyuubi and Naruto flew out of the cave, eyes scanning for any potential attacks. As he was running, Naruto felt the ground shift beneath him. "Kyuubi," he muttered. "I think the sickness is coming—"

A half second later, he realized that he wasn't feeling sick, something was actually moving the ground beneath his feet. "I feel it, too, kit," Kyuubi growled. "Jump!"

Naruto jumped into the air, as high as he could, and looked down just in time to see some_thing _with tentacles burst out of the ground, searching outward for him frantically. Finding nothing, the thing looked up.

"Oh, great," Naruto muttered as it focused its many eyes on him. "Slimy just found lunch."

* * *

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* * *

So, what do you think? I've said it before, but I am no expert on Japanese mythology or religion. I think everything about yin and yang is right for the most part, but could somebody let me know if I've got something horribly wrong or backwards.

What did you think of the flashback? I could take them out if you all hate them, but they'll add richness to Kyuubi's story when he explains why he attacked Konoha.

Other than that, I can't think of anything.


	7. Chapter 5

Hey, how are all of you?

So, just to let you know, my hours at work moved up and I have a ton of homework in my classes, so updates might be a bit infrequent until I can learn to manage it all.

This chapter is mostly action. I'm not very good at writing it. Have fun reading.

You know the disclaimer.

Chapter 5

Tsunade rubbed her temples as she stared at the blond boy lying in bed. She'd done every test in every book she could find, called in experts from anywhere Konoha had allies and still, they could find no physical reason for his coma. Kakashi and Yamato had looked over the seal and found nothing wrong with that, either. There was only one other option she could think of, and the experts on that would be here in any second.

She looked over Jiraiya's chart as she waited. He had been improving by inches for several days. The surgery to reconstruct his intestines had gone well and he needed two less units of blood per day since it. The damage to his kidney was slowly healing, and she predicted that the tubes could be removed from his lung in several weeks. The largest obstacle would be his arm. There was no way to reattach it, since the rest of his arm was somewhere in Rain, and the wound had been left for too long to give him a replacement of any kind.

Tsunade closed her eyes. Jiraiya would never be a ninja again. His body would never fully recover, which ruled out extensive taijutsu. He had lost an arm and the only jutsu he could conceivably use was Rasengan. He could no longer summon his toads and he was never that good at genjutsu. _At least he can still write, _she thought, trying to be positive.

_All of this is presuming he won't be a vegetable when he is fully healed, _a realistic little voice inside her head muttered.

_Shut up, _the rest of her hissed as the door opened. Tsunade stood up, but didn't smile in welcome. "Inoichi, Ino, I'm glad you could make it."

* * *

Naruto grimaced as the tentacles began to reach upward, toward him and Kyuubi.

"You just had to open your big mouth, didn't you, Naruto?" Kyuubi growled. They were falling back down, quickly approaching the writhing appendages. There was no way the two would reach the ground without encountering them. Naruto whipped out his kunai, one in each hand, and prepared to fight.

A large, slimy tentacle reached for him, slithering through the air. Naruto brought a kunai down, slicing it down the center. Thick blood spilled out of it and coated Naruto's arms. The creature screeched and withdrew it, driving another, bigger tentacle at the blond in retaliation. Naruto chopped the end off of that one as well.

"Behind you!" Kyuubi shouted. Naruto spun around, took out a third tentacle. A second later, one wrapped around his ankle. Naruto bent to hack it off, but found his arm encased in another of Slimy's appendages. The blond tried to tug his arm out, but the feeler tightened and dragged him down, in the direction of what Naruto thought was its mouth. He started to gather a Rasengan.

With a flash of sharpened claws, Kyuubi cut through the two arms wrapped around Naruto. "Push off the tentacles and get on the ground, kit!" he snapped. "Don't use any jutsus!" The demon shoved off the tentacles that he had cut and twisted through the air.

Naruto did a flip, jamming in his kunai in another tentacle. He tried to pull them out, but the handles had become too slippery with blood. They slipped out of his hands and he started again to plummet.

* * *

"So you see," Tsunade said. "Why I need your talents."

Inoichi and Ino nodded in sync. "Of course we will help in any way, Lady Hokage," Inoichi agreed. "Can we see him now?"

The Hokage nodded. "He's this way," she said, leading them through the halls of the hospital. "Be careful when you enter his mind because of . . ." She cast a glance at Ino.

The younger Yamanaka frowned. "Because of what? Lady Hokage? Father?"

_She's one of Naruto's friends. _Tsunade thought, debating whether to tell Ino about Naruto's 'house guest.'

"Will _someone _tell me what secret you two are keeping?" Ino snapped, glaring at her father and leader.

Inoichi met Tsunade's eyes. "It will be on a need-to-know basis," Inoichi said. Tsunade gave him the tiniest nod, then turned her head forward. "If we decide on a course of action that requires you to know, we will tell you."

Ino rolled her eyes as they stepped into Naruto's room.

* * *

_Damn! _Naruto thought. A hundred slimy, angry, ugly tentacles were speeding towards him. He yanked out another three kunai and spun in circles, slashing, tearing and cutting. Finally, one wrapped around his middle and yanked.

Pain shot up his side as at least two of his ribs cracked. He gasped, then growled and tried to twist out of the thing's grasp anyway. _"__Argh__!"_The tentacles tightened again and cut off his breath.

* * *

Machines started beeping. Tsunade, who had been talking with Inoichi about Naruto's condition, snapped her head back to the knucklehead in question. Her eyes widened as the monitors went into overdrive again.

"Oh, no," Tsunade breathed. "_Get in here__!" _she screamed to the nurses.

Inoichi and Ino moved out of the way as nurses rushed in. Naruto didn't thrash on the bed, but his heartbeat was skyrocketing and his breath was shallow. Though she couldn't see it, Tsunade knew that adrenaline would be pumping through Naruto's body, followed swiftly by endorphins.

It was as though he was fighting a battle that just reached fever pitch. She rushed forward, grabbing a few needles with sedatives.

* * *

_"Naruto!_" Kyuubi bellowed. He tried to cut his way to the boy, but more arms came out of the ground, blocking his path and keeping him back.

The Chuunin hissed as more tentacles whipped around him, sliding over his legs and face. He shoved them out of the way. The thing continued to pull him down. With a jolt, he stopped, and his ribs screamed in protest. Naruto turned his head so that he was staring straight into the multitude of black, beady eyes the creature possessed.

Slimy opened its mouth and bared its teeth to Naruto. He returned the favor, snarling in its face. A long, spiked tongue came out of the rows of fangs.

"Oh, you wanna _eat me?" _Naruto sneered. He held his right hand up, ignoring his burning ribs, and formed a Rasengan in it. "Fine. _Eat this!" _

Naruto roared as he threw himself forward, his ribs and bruised abdomen screaming, his Rasengan howling in his hand. The thing screeched as the pure chakra tore into it, sending eyes, bones and brains flying. The multitude of tentacles writhed and thrashed as Naruto's powerful Rasengan ripped the main body to shreds.

With a final shriek, the thing surrendered to death. Naruto grinned in triumph before all the tentacles collapsed on top of him.

* * *

Ino watched anxiously as the nurses and Tsunade rushed about the room. Naruto looked like he was sleeping. His body wasn't thrashing about, he wasn't bleeding or in pain. If the machines weren't going crazy, she would never know that there was something wrong with him.

She bit her lip as Tsunade called for more sedatives. Naruto, well, he used to be the most annoying thing on the planet. He still was loud, and obnoxious, but she'd realized in the battle with Kakuzu that he wasn't as completely useless as he used to be. Ino had also seen how much he meant to people. He managed to work his way into the hearts of people that knew him: Sakura, Tsunade, Kakashi, Iruka, Sai, and so many others.

_Please be okay, Naruto. _

* * *

Naruto was buried under a mountain of slimy flesh. He hacked at the many tentacles with his kunais, getting quickly drenched in thick blood.

"Damn idiot kit!" Kyuubi snarled, clawing through the piles of tentacles. "I told you _not _to use jutsus! And that, that was the _worst _one you could have possibly used!"

He threw the last appendage aside to reveal a human covered in dark blue blood. Naruto grinned up at Kyuubi, who snarled down at him. He grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him up.

"Ooow! Hey, I've got some broken ribs here!" Naruto snapped, holding his injured side in pain.

"You'll have a lot worse than that in a minute, you _imbecile!" _Kyuubi bit back, dragging him across the remains of Slimy.

Naruto grimaced, trying to get his feet under him. "Hey! I killed that thing, you bastard! Where were you?"

"You think _that _was a problem?" Kyuubi spat. "That was nothing compared to what's coming next. _Nothing!"_

The blond sat down on a rock as they reached the ground again. "Oh, really? How do you know what's coming next?"

Once again, the ground began to shake, but this time, Naruto couldn't keep his feet beneath him, even sitting down. He tumbled to the ground, jarring his abused torso. Something went crack and pain stabbed at his side.

"Ah!" _Oh, that's definitely a broken rib. _

"No time, kit," Kyuubi snarled. "Unless you wanna be Big Mama's next snack!"

Naruto frowned up at him. "Eh?"

The demon grabbed Naruto and threw him high into the air. "Kyuubi, you damn fur . . . ball . . ."

"Meet Big Mama!" Kyuubi shouted as another tentacled creature, ten times the size of Slimy, exploded from the ground. In seconds, it had fixated on Naruto.

* * *

Ino stared at Naruto, now calm, as her father and Tsunade talked over possibilities of what they could do to explore his mind. She knew that they were worried she could find out about the _thing. _

_What could it be? _Now, she wasn't a genius of Shikamaru's stature, but Ino wasn't stupid either. She was pretty observant as well, after she stopped swooning over Sasuke.

_I know that Naruto lives alone. _She'd delivered flowers from concerned people to his apartment after one of his hospital stays. Ino would be quite busy when he got out this time; her parents' shop was already running out of get-well baskets.

_I also know that a lot of the villagers didn't like him. Some still don't. _She'd seen it in the market where the flower shop was. When people saw him coming, they'd often all step back, making it seem like he had an invisible barrier around him when he walked. Parents shifted their children closer, shop owners would turn their bodies so that the doors were blocked to him.

_Then there was the Chuunin Exam. _Neji had pressed sixty-four of his chakra points. He shouldn't have been able to move, much less channel chakra and beat Hyuuga Neji. And what was with that chakra, anyway? Ino had never seen red chakra like that. And it had a peculiar feel to it, too. Something not quite human.

Ino frowned as she stared at Naruto. _That's just nonsense. __Naruto, not human?_

_fine__, I'll admit that he does have unnatural stamina and energy. He heals quickly, too, and I've never seen anyone with facial marks like that. And how did _he _beat __Gaara__ when he was twelve? He was a total idiot then._

_Speaking of __Gaara__, there was something about that mission to Sand, too, _Ino thought, rubbing her hands together in contemplation. _Sakura was acting differently__ when she came back__. She looked like she'__d been given a lot to think about_

Ino sat back. _I'll have to talk to Shikamaru about this. He's smart. He'll put things together. _

"Ino?"

She straightened and faced her father. "Yes?"

He motioned her over and explained the plan they'd decided on. Inoichi would enter Naruto's mind and explore, while Ino acted as his anchor, in case something happened and he needed to pull back.

The two Yamanakas stepped up to Naruto's bedside. Ino connected to her father. Once he was secure, Inoichi settled himself, gathered his chakra and ran through the handseals for the jutsu.

* * *

Kyuubi glared at Big Mama, then calculated how much time he had until Naruto was in range of her tentacles again. Of course, the brat just had to go use a jutsu, didn't he?

_Didn't I specifically tell the fool not to? _

The demon fox drove forward and began to frantically slice and dice the tentacles, which just happened to be thick as tree trunks. So far, Big Mama was still focused on Naruto.

"And of _course _she would be," Kyuubi snapped as he fought to gain her attention. "She got the taste of his chakra from his _DAMN RASENGAN!"_

He drove forward, flipping out of the way, ripping appendages off and, in some cases, biting straight through them with his fangs. Still, the giant creature watched his kit, waiting for him to come back down.

Naruto, for his part, was staring right back at Big Mama in horror. She was freaking huge! Her tentacles were thicker than his entire body, and there were more of them than he could count, even if he had the time or the inclination. Somewhere over to the left, he noticed Kyuubi tearing his way to Big Mama's main body, but it didn't look like he was making much progress.

_If one of those wraps around me, I'm screwed sideways. _Naruto reached for several more kunai, a meager defense against the monster on the ground.

At last, as Kyuubi hacked through five of her tentacles at once, Big Mama turned her eyes to him. He smirked, thinking he had her attention, but she just flicked him away.

Naruto saw Kyuubi go flying, seeing his hope against this thing go sailing away as well. He turned his attention back to Big Mama, who was bringing her tentacles back to her and gathering them underneath her.

_What is she doing? _Naruto wondered as he began to fall back down.

Kyuubi's internal monologue would have made a sailor blush. He cursed Big Mama for threatening his kit, he cursed Minato for putting them in this situation, he cursed Naruto for being such an idiot, he cursed Meara for passing her recklessness on to her son, he cursed himself for realizing that simple taijutsu would not suffice.

He landed easily, stopping his momentum by digging his claws into the ground. Kyuubi spun around, tracking Big Mama's movements with his sharp eyes.

_Oh, no, _he thought. _She can't be jumping._

To his great distress, she was. Big Mama was gathering all of her tentacles underneath her body, preparing to launch herself into the air after Naruto. Kyuubi took off at a dead run, intent on getting between the monster and Naruto.

That_ will not happen again. _

* * *

Had Naruto been paying attention to something other than Big Mama and his painful ribs, he would have noticed something change, a slight pull at his center. But he wasn't that attentive or subtle, so he didn't notice when Yamanaka Inoichi slipped inside his mind.

"A sewer?" Inoichi wondered, staring at the water that went to his ankles. "I suppose it's to be expected from a student of Jiraiya."

With a sigh, the man began to trudge through the deserted halls of the sewer.

"Hello?" he called. It was possible Naruto was trapped somewhere in his mind, unable to break free. If he could hear Inoichi's voice, it might help him.

"Naruto?" The ninja moved through the maze of corridors carefully. He didn't want to disturb anything he shouldn't. He turned a corner and started.

Before him were two gates, ascending into the high, dark reaches of the chamber he'd entered. It wasn't their size that worried him, though.

It was the fact that they were opened.

He could see on one of the gates, the paper with 'seal' written on it, still intact, if a bit worn around the edges.

"So, someone pulled it off," Inoichi murmured. "And let Kyuubi out."

His heart pounded in fear at that, but if the fox was free, it surely would have taken over Naruto's body by now and razed Konoha. He took a closer look around the chamber and noticed two long, thin cords running up into the darkness. One was red, the other blue.

Inoichi stepped closer, staring at the two in wonder.

* * *

Kyuubi threw himself into the air, on a beeline to come right between Big Mama and Naruto. He started gathering his chakra, concentrating it until it was becoming solid and firm in his mouth, then layered liquid chakra over that. He glared at Big Mama.

_You won't hurt him. _

Naruto, for his part, was running through any and all plans his mind could come up with. It wasn't a very long or impressive list. Suddenly, Kyuubi slammed into him from the side. His body howled at him. It really wasn't fair how much he was abusing it here.

Big Mama launched herself forward, screaming straight at Kyuubi and Naruto, on their new trajectory. Naruto tensed. "Kyuu—"

The fox nodded and spun so that he was facing the monster. He took a deep breath and added one final layer of pure red, flaming chakra on the chakra ball in his mouth before spitting it at Big Mama.

Naruto stared at the fiery ball of hell that exploded out of Kyuubi. It flew straight and true at the main body of the being, promising pain and death. Big Mama screeched in rage as it slammed into her. Kyuubi spun back around and wrapped his arms around Naruto, shielding him.

Chakra exploded outward from Big Mama. It sent her back to the ground with a tremendous crash, cratering the ground. The red chakra expanded on the ground, leaving scorch marks and ruts. Naruto closed his eyes against the brightness.

* * *

In the meeting chamber, Kagami put a hand to her stomach, then burped out a little bit of fire. She chuckled.

* * *

Inoichi was thrown back as the thin red cord suddenly got a lot bigger. He brought his arms up as a shield. It didn't do any good, as he was still shoved back and banged against the wall.

* * *

Kyuubi and Naruto continued to fall, finally landing hard on the ground. Naruto moaned at the pain shooting across his entire body, but Kyuubi was already tugging him up.

"Can't stay, kit," he muttered, glancing to the charred lumps that used to be Big Mama. "Come on. We gotta move, come on. Get up."

With another groan, the blond willed himself to his feet and began to stagger in the direction Kyuubi was steering him.

* * *

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* * *

So, that was a fight scene. There will be more to come, some of them in flashbacks. I based Kyuubi's move off of what Naruto did in his four-tailed form, for those of you that have read that far.

Well, can't talk. I really have to get to work. Make me happy? R&R?


	8. Interlude II

Hello, everyone. I am very tired. I'm quite busy.

Okay, here's another interlude. It's short, but the next real chapter will be coming out maybe Saturday or Sunday, when I have time to type it.

_Interlude II_

_Pain.__ There was so much pain, ripping through his body like fire, tearing him apart, leaving holes and gashes._

_There was blood, too, dark red. So dark that it was almost black, seeping into the ground. It soaked up the blood, greedily, hungrily. __It loved the taste of his blood, as the creatures loved the taste of his chakra. _

_His hands scrabbled at the ground as they circled. The void sensed his weakness and slithered forward, intent on making as much progress as it could. They wrapped around him._

_He fought them, and it, with dull kunais and fading memories . . . _

_"You sure he went this way?" _

_He looked to his friend, in human form now. His friend had filled in on a most-needed mission when his teammate was in the hospital. He shuddered, oh how he hated hospitals. "__Yeah, I can sense his chakra. __This way!"_

_They flew through the trees, following the enemy. His sensei was behind, having gotten distracted. His sensei was so easily distracted. He frowned deeply, turning his attention back to the enemy. There was something, no, someone else with the enemy. __Another chakra, bright, flaring, fiery.__ He flew toward it, leaving his friend behind._

_"Minato!"_

_She was there, ducking, dodging, __fighting__ desperately against an enemy much larger than her. He leaped forward just as the enemy attacked her, blocking the incoming weapon with his own. He spared her a glance, saw flaming red hair and intense, surprised green eyes._

_His friend arrived, the enemy was defeated. His sensei came minutes later, and was punched hard by the girl. He laughed. She had so much spirit for such a small thing._

_". . . small thing," he whispered, coughing up blood. He was going to die __now,__ they had made sure of that. They were all waiting, the creatures, the vultures, __the__ void. __Waiting to conquer him._

_He died._

* * *

_The first time he died, it didn't hurt. It was just the hand and the void that scared him. After that, he woke in the darkness, and began to fight and run. _

_Most enemies he defeated, but some were stronger than him. _

_The second time he died, it hurt. They all pulled him to pieces, and the void crept in when he was dead, winding itself around him. He died with the thought of her, that maybe, he would leave now, be out of here. He thought that would be nice._

_Instead, he woke in darkness again. He stood slowly, confused. _

_Why was he still here?_

_He turned slowly, saw the creatures. The ground had his blood, the creatures had his chakra. He was still there. _

_They began to advance on him again, hungry once more. He was dazed, bemused, __uncertain_

_Why was he still here?_

_They came to him, and brought the pain again. He died._

_The next time he woke, he knew to move soon. They would hunt him again, ravenous. He moved, he ran, __he__ fought. He got better at surviving. They didn't catch him as often. He didn't die as often. _

_He killed them often, but they would always __wake again, like him. _

_The Realm never died. _

* * *

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* * *

So, that's that. As I said, the next one should be up in a few days. This is just to hold you all over until the weekend. So, please no complaints about the length. Those make me unhappy. :( 


	9. Chapter 6

Hello! I'm sorry this is out so late on Sunday. My math homework took me longer than anticipated. :P I would rather read a hundred books than take Calculus 152. Really.

Anyway, there was a bit of confusion about the mini-flashback last chapter. You had to read "If Only" to get it. Meara tells Naruto of the first time she met Minato. She was fighting against an enemy nin, and he saved her. Later, Jiraiya came and he giggled upon meeting her. She punched him for it. That was my cheap way of sneaking in a flashback. There's another one in here, but it's super short. Under 300 words, so less than 10 percent of the actual content.

I do not know when the next one will be up. So sorry. I have a newer, busier schedule that I must adjust to, but once I do, I'll be able to type more regularly. Please be patient.

Chapter 6

Naruto staggered along, dragged by Kyuubi. He was barely keeping up; his entire upper torso was alternating between burning and aching. "Get your feet under you, boy," Kyuubi snarled. "We need to move faster."

"Why?" Naruto demanded. "We killed them. Slimy and Big Mama are dead!"

"For the moment," Kyuubi agreed.

Naruto raised his eyes and focused on the fox. Kyuubi was glancing over his shoulder every few seconds and scanning the landscape worriedly. Naruto understood that other creatures could be coming after them, but what did he mean by 'for the moment?' Somebody that died didn't come back . . .

Finally, Kyuubi found a suitable hiding place, once again in the confines of a small cave. The redhead set Naruto down carefully, now mindful of his injured status. He reached behind him, into the pack that he wore and whipped out a roll of bandages. He stripped Naruto's shirt off and began to carefully wrap the boy's ribs. Naruto grimaced, but kept quiet as Kyuubi worked.

"This is _not _the world you know," Kyuubi muttered as the white material encased Naruto's torso.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I figured that out."

"Shut up," Kyuubi muttered. "When people die in your world, their bodies decay and their souls depart. Here, the 'body' you see is really the being's soul. It is trapped in here."

Naruto made a face. "So, wouldn't a soul just decay, or rot or something?"

"No," Kyuubi returned. "The soul is eternal. It does not simply go away, nor does it truly die. It can decay, or become twisted, but it does not ever completely vanish."

Naruto frowned as he contemplated this. He'd never really thought about dying, only in that he wouldn't let it happen until after he'd become Hokage. Naruto had never allowed it as a possibility, so he'd never considered what would happen after he did. He knew he would, someday, but he'd never thought beyond it. "Okay, so people's souls don't die or anything," he acknowledged. "What does that mean for this place?"

Kyuubi stopped wrapping Naruto's ribs and stared at him. "You're kidding, right?"

The blond blinked. "What?"

The demon sighed in exasperation and continued his ministrations. "Think about it for a minute, kit. You'll get it."

Naruto blew a breath out between his lips in annoyance. He _hated _it when Kyuubi, or anyone for that matter, did that. Nonetheless, he did as Kyuubi ordered and put his brain to the problem. So, this place was all souls and souls didn't really die. So . . .

Nothing in this place really died.

Kyuubi watched concentration turn to shock, then horror on Naruto's face. He chuckled and said, "I hope you didn't sprain anything."

"So, wait . . ." Naruto said, staring into the middle distance. "Slimy, and Big Mama, they're not really dead?"

"Nope," Kyuubi confirmed. "They're only dead temporarily, until they've healed enough to get back up and come after us again."

Naruto gulped. He really didn't want to face those things again. He just wanted to find his dad and get out. "How will they find us?"

Kyuubi snarled. "Well, you see, creatures like Big Mama have a chakra memory. Once they get a feel of your chakra, they never forget it. They're like a dog with a scent. They'll track you until they get you."

"So that's why you didn't want me to use jutsus," Naruto said, realization dawning.

"Exactly," the demon snapped, tying off the bandages with an extra hard tug. "And you gave Slimy a big dose of yours with that Rasengan."

Naruto sighed and made a face. "Yeah, well, he would have gotten a dose if he'd eaten me, too," he replied, tugging his shirt back on. It was ripped and bloody, but he'd rather not wander around the belly of the Shinigami shirtless. _Not that there's anyone here to see me, _he thought.

Kyuubi stood and peered out of the narrow opening. "Nothing's coming," he called back.

"So, we can leave?" Naruto asked, pulling himself to his feet slowly.

A hand landed on his shoulder and golden eyes burned into his. "Are you ready? We need to get as far from here as possible," Kyuubi explained.

Naruto nodded firmly, pushing the pain in his body down. He shuffled to the edge of the cave, right beside Kyuubi. "Where will we be headed?"

"Away," Kyuubi answered. "And up, if possible."

"Up?" Naruto questioned as the two eased themselves out of the cave.

Kyuubi's head bobbed once. "Yes, those creatures are connected to the ground. They travel through it, as you saw. They can only leave contact with it for a little bit," he continued. "We need to climb out of this canyon, but we can't use our chakra."

Naruto looked up the nearly-sheer walls of the canyon they'd descended into. "Uh, yeah . . ."

"Don't tell me you've forgotten how to climb things without chakra?" Kyuubi sneered.

"Of course I haven't!" Naruto hissed. He stayed quiet, having learned his lesson with the Family of Tentacle. "It's just been a while, that's all."

"Well then, let's go," Kyuubi muttered. "We need to find someplace safe as soon as possible before those things recover, and so that you can use a tracking spell to find your father and get out of here."

With that, Kyuubi stopped talking and grabbed a small outcropping, tugging on it to test its security. "Just put your hands and feet exactly where I do," he ordered. "And _don't use chakra."_

* * *

Inoichi dropped the jutsu as the red chakra receded. He stumbled, back in the hospital room, staring over Naruto's still form. His heart was pounding, his hands were shaking and his forehead was covered in sweat. 

It had been over sixteen years since he'd felt _that _chakra, and though he would never admit it, it still scared him to death. Inoichi had fought in the Third Great War for over five years, seen and participated in battles that occasionally still haunted his dreams. He'd picked across the battlefields strewn with dead, scavenging for weapons or food when his team had none. He'd picked up the banner again when Orochimaru launched his assault three years ago, but nothing had, or would ever compare to that night. He'd stood there, at the front lines, in the most devastating night in Konoha's history. The demon had attacked, just outside the gates of his village, glaring maliciously down at the humans that dared to fight it.

And fought it they had. Inoichi and his fellow ninjas, sparse as they were during the war, had thrown every jutsu they could think of at the beast. As their situation worsened, the demon continued to press forward slowly to Konoha. He remembered wondering why the creature hadn't simply squashed them all with one of his great tails. It certainly had the power. It could have just waltzed through their poorly made and crumbling lines, but instead it had stood, swishing its tails and growling.

He'd always wondered, why?

"Dad?"

Inoichi turned to his daughter, his beautiful little girl. Right now, she was looking far too grown up—and observant. He knew that she saw how unnerved he was. For months after the battle, just the mention of Kyuubi's name would send him into a panic, especially if his wife and daughter weren't with him at the moment. After a few years, he'd recovered to the point where he could speak of the battle without flinching or his voice quailing. Inoichi had never expected to feel such terror grip him again.

He wrapped an arm around Ino, pulling her close to him. She frowned in confusion, but didn't protest. Inoichi pressed his lips to the top of her head. "You stay with Naruto," he told her. "I must speak with the Hokage."

Ino narrowed her eyes at her father, but didn't protest. She'd learned when it was best to rebel and when it was best to rebel. And when it was best to make your father think you were obeying.

As soon as the two elder ninja had left, Ino ran to the window and threw it open. Half a second later, a small bug—she wasn't sure what kind and really didn't care—was trapped in her hand. She smirked. _I really will be a fly on the wall. _

Ino reveled in the feeling of outsmarting her father until she realized that she really didn't have any way of keeping the small insect still long enough for her to transfer her mind over to it.

With a frustrated stomp of her foot, Ino released the bug, which immediately flew into the pane of glass she hadn't opened and continued doing so for several minutes. Ino, for her part, flopped down in the chair next to Naruto's bed and glared at him.

"Remind me to make you teach me the shadow clone jutsu," she muttered to the unconscious form, which, naturally, did not respond.

* * *

"Well?" Tsunade asked. "What did you see?" 

The pair had traveled to the top of the hospital and were standing on the roof in the wind. It was early summer, and the crops in the distant fields were growing well, Tsunade knew. She received reports regularly from the few farmers in Konoha, as well as the nearby towns that supplemented their food stock. She closed her eyes and took in the air for a minute. The wind was strong, and damp. It would bring a thunderstorm soon.

She redirected her attention to the Jounin in front of her, who was, at the least, shaken by his experience in Naruto's mind.

He rubbed a hand over his face. "The gates were open," he whispered roughly.

Tsunade frowned. "Chakra gates?"

Inoichi shook his head. "No, the gates the kept Kyuubi in check," he answered.

Tsunade could feel the blood leave her face. Ice coated her stomach and the threats of the council flashed through her head. "What are you saying?" she demanded, temper rising to fight fear. "The Yondaime's seal broke?"

Again, to her surprise, Inoichi shook his head. "No, the seal was still intact, but it was as if someone had pulled it off and opened the gates," he explained.

Tsunade leaned on the rail running around the roof and stared out at Konoha. The village that she had sworn to protect with her life. Her thoughts turned to Naruto. The boy whose strength she'd staked her life on.

_"If I am wrong, I will pay the price and die defending this village."_

She had promised that to the elders, and now wondered if it was _possible _to keep that vow. She had no idea what was going on, why it was happening or who was behind it. The information she had on Naruto's condition was next to nothing, and all the steps she took led her further into confusion. Inoichi's voice brought her back.

"Lady Hokage," he started, waiting for her attention. When she granted it, he continued. "I could find no sign of Naruto or the demon's souls, except for one thing."

Tsunade turned to face him, her amber eyes boring into him. She raised an eyebrow, indicating for him to continue.

"There was—" Inoichi floundered for words, unable to explain what he'd seen. "There were two, ah, trails, or cords, of chakra, that led up."

". . . Up?" Tsunade asked. That was _so _helpful. "What do you mean?"

"In the chamber where the demon was sealed," Inoichi explained. "The walls and gates went up so high I couldn't see the top. The two chakras led in that direction, into the darkness."

Tsunade made a face and pinched at her nose. "Listen, Inoichi, I don't understand how all of this mindscape stuff works, it's not my area of expertise. I assume that the darkness and the chakras leading up mean something more. Do you have any idea what?"

Inoichi considered the Hokage's question. She may not have been an expert, but she certainly was perceptive. She reasoned that the chakras were leading somewhere other than to another section of Naruto's mind. He thought through the possibilities.

"Well, in our collective consciousness," he mused. "Darkness usually represents the unknown. The direction of up signals . . ."

For inspiration, Inoichi turned his gaze to the sky, watching the clouds on the distant horizon, the birds flying with the wind. Tsunade followed his example, casting her eyes heavenward.

"When something is up," she said slowly. "It is above us, stronger than us. The higher ground has the advantage, for example."

The two ninjas continued to stare at the sky. Tsunade closed her eyes and sent a prayer to any deities that deigned to listen. _Please, help me out here, if you're up there. _

* * *

Minowa snorted as Tsunade's plea echoed through the meeting chamber. It was amazing how dense the little humans could be sometimes, even ones who purported to be strong. 

"She doesn't even realize that she has the answer," Amarante murmured, sighing.

Sayu scratched his chin. "Well, she did ask for help."

* * *

Tsunade kept her head tilted up. Her belief in the gods was sketchy at best and nonexistent at worst. Still, if there was a chance that anyone could help Naruto, she would pursue it. _If anyone's up there._

_Up . . . there. _

She snapped her eyes open as inspiration hit her. "No," she whispered. "It can't be."

* * *

Sasuke frowned at the Hokage's low statement. He had been listening and following them for the past hour, from the moment the Yamanakas had reached the hospital and was now perched on the water tower Naruto had torn a hole in years ago. He'd seen Naruto's odd fluctuation, for lack of a better word. He remembered from their previous battles that the blond's vital signs changed in just such a way when he was fighting, and another way when he was in pain. 

Wherever Naruto had been, he had been in pain. And despite Tsunade's drugs, Sasuke could tell that Naruto still was. It may not have been the blinding pain of a battle, but rather the after effects of one. The achiness, the medicine, the running. Naruto's vital signs were telling a story, and very few knew how to listen properly.

Sasuke was one of them. He'd fought by or with Naruto too often to ignore it. Kakashi was another, but the Jounin wasn't around when Naruto had a fit. Sakura, perhaps. She was a medic-nin now, but he hadn't seen and didn't care if she was a good one.

The only other person who could know Naruto that well was Jiraiya and the old pervert was laid up in bed, having suffered defeat at the hands of the Akatsuki leader.

Sasuke snorted. If the Toad Hermit was as powerful as Orochimaru, it was no wonder he'd lost so terribly. The great Sannin were not all they were cracked up to be.

But back to the problem at hand. Tsunade had clearly come to some sort of conclusion or revelation about Naruto. Unfortunately, her thought processes were silent, and while Sasuke could have peered into her mind, such an offense would get him exiled or executed. That wouldn't do. He needed to find out what kind of power Naruto had tapped into.

Sasuke turned his attention back to the two on the roof. Tsunade was still mulling over the epiphany she'd had and Inoichi was watching her closely, waiting for some reaction. Eventually, she turned and headed back inside, giving him the order to get a priest from the temple nearby.

_A priest? _Sasuke wondered. _What would a priest have to do with anything?_

* * *

Naruto and Kyuubi reached the top of the cliff, after what felt like an eternity of climbing. Naruto lowered himself to the ground carefully, breathing heavily. He had barely a moment of peace before Kyuubi was tugging him up again. 

"Let's go, kit," he growled. "You can rest when we reach our destination."

Naruto groaned, but pulled himself up off the ground anyway. He grimaced as the running jarred his ribs, but soon settled into a smooth gait that kept him even. Kyuubi led him across the barren plains of the death god's stomach, eyes constantly scanning and keeping a lookout.

Kyuubi's skin was prickling. They were being watched. He scowled, though, detecting no malice in the vaguely familiar feeling. They weren't being hunted, that much was for sure. He knew he'd felt this before. He cast back through his memories to find where.

_"Come on," he chuckled, dragging the twenty year old along._

_Minato resisted, digging his heels in. "No. It's rude and inconsiderate."_

_Kyuubi laughed. "It's natural. Why wouldn't you want to see it?"_

_"I have seen 'it,'" Minato shot back testily. "And with permission, unlike you and sensei."_

_The mischievous grin spread across the fox's face as he gave his friend a shove, sending him crashing quite ungracefully through the bushes. "But never in this quantity!"_

_Kyuubi lowered himself next to Minato so that he could see through the crack in the wall. "See? Isn't it great?"_

_Minato didn't reply. Kyuubi snickered as he saw his friend's red face and the trickle of blood from his nose. "I thought you'd seen the female nude before, Minato," Kyuubi teased, his voice barely above a hiss. _

_"__Uhn__," Minato grunted, not taking his eyes from the bathhouse. The blue eyes followed the movement of something, rather, someone across the edges of the bath. Kyuubi followed his gaze. _

_"__Oooh__, I see." He grinned evilly. "I had no idea _she'd _be here. Or that you'd only look at her."_

_Minato's eyes widened to the size of saucers as the girl he was staring at dropped the towel, preparing to step into the bath. Kyuubi raised an eyebrow. "__Hubba-hubba__."_

_"Stop looking at her!" Minato snapped, clocking Kyuubi on the head. _

_The demon stuck his tongue out. "Aw, is Minato feeling possessive over his Kushina?"_

_Minato's eyes flashed dangerously, but before he could respond, the backs of their necks tingled in warning. They tensed, sharing a look. The two were being watched. They began to slither backwards, moving through the bushes silently this time. _

Kyuubi frowned. Whoever was watching them there was watching them here as well. There were few people in Konoha who knew about that spot, only the great perverts. That would be Kakashi, Kyuubi, Jiraiya, Ebisu (though he'd never admit it), and Sarutobi.

The only one who could possibly be here, and be skilled enough to avoid direct detection, was Sarutobi.

* * *

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* * *

Yup, some of you guessed it. We will meet Sarutobi in this world. That's all for now. Some of you have requested longer chapters, but that would mean less frequent updates. So, if enough people really want longer chapters and are willing to wait, then I'll do that. I don't have a specific plan for each chapter. Just let me know. 

Bye now! Until next time.


	10. Chapter 7

Wow. It has been forever and a day, hasn't it?

Urg, this chapter was so hard to type. Hm, yes, well. There's not much to say here. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

_Move._

_Moooooove._

_Move!_

_Move, __dammit_

_Okay, left one won't move. Let's try the right one. _

_Right pinky finger,_

_MOVE! NOW!_

_Damn. _

_If my finger had twitched, she would have noticed something. _

_Hmm. Maybe she did, but thought it was a reflex or something_

_If I do it again . . ._

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

_Eh? What is she doing? _

_Oooh__, is she kissing me? _

_Wait, I would feel that, probably._

_Aw, damn. _

"Sitting here talking to a comatose patient. I'm the Hokage, for gods' sake! At least this way you can't stare at my breasts."

_I would never . . ._

_Okay, I would._

"I just wish you would wake up. There are things we need to discuss! Like what you learned from the Akatsuki leader in Rain, for example."

_Hm? Akatsuki in Rain? _

_That must be how I got so injured. But why don't I remember the fight?_

"And there's something strange going on with Naruto."

_Naruto? What's wrong with him?_

"I've called a priest from the monastery nearby to look at him."

_A priest? What would he need a priest for?_

"It's a crazy idea. I don't know where it came from. But nothing else has worked."

_What's wrong with him? What's _wrong _with him?!_

"It's odd. Normally, I'd be so happy to have both you and Naruto constantly quiet. No perverted comments. No having to worry about the sanctity of the bathhouses. No shouts of 'Grandma Tsunade!'"

_For sake's sake, Tsunade, tell me what's wrong with him!_

"But now, of course, I've got one patient hanging on for life and one in a coma for unexplainable reasons."

_I'm hanging on for life and Naruto's in a coma? _

_And she doesn't know _why _Naruto's in a coma, but she's calling a priest. _

_She can't mean from _that _monastery. _

_But that's the only one near here. _

_How can she call someone from there?! What the hell is she thinking! Doesn't she know what they've . . ._

_No, she doesn't. _

_She left before __Sarutobi__ made that decision and didn't come back until Naruto and I dragged her back._

_Shit. _

* * *

Kyuubi continued to pull Naruto across the plains, slowly ascending the nearest mountain. So, Sarutobi was following them. But how had he ended up in here? 

There were _very _few ways to get into the Shinigami's stomach. By very few, he meant less than five. One was obviously the seal that Minato had used. There were a few others, such as ancient sacrifices and a couple other obscure rites.

Maybe he was wrong. It couldn't be Sarutobi. There was simply no logical way he'd be in here. He'd died in the fight with Orochimaru, nearly four years ago. To Kyuubi's knowledge, he hadn't used the seal.

The fox shook his head. No, it couldn't be the Old Man. He continued to tug Naruto along, finally coming to rest just behind a large outcropping of rocks. The two threw themselves down, panting heavily.

"We will rest here for a few minutes," Kyuubi stated. This place was as good as any. They were up high, which limited the access that the tentacled creatures had to them. There were other things that could get them, though. They needed to find Minato and get the _hell_ out of here.

Naruto groaned and leaned against an outcropping of rocks. "So, how do you know Slimy and Big Mama can't get us up here?"

"They can," Kyuubi snapped. "As long as we're here, they, and any other number of monsters, can find and kill us."

He shifted and settled down slightly to the right of Naruto, keeping an eye out down the slope.

Naruto complained some more. "So, what's the point of climbing up the mountain?"

"Oh, that just made it harder for them to get to us," the fox answered.

"How do you know?" Naruto asked.

Kyuubi grinned. "From the war."

"Which one?" the blond asked, blue eyes wide with curiosity.

"Didn't they teach you history in ninja school?" Kyuubi asked. His respect for human education was rapidly declining. When they got out of here, he'd give the kit a _proper _teaching.

Naruto grumbled. "Well, you've lived how long? You've probably fought in a lot of wars."

"Not a lot of human ones," Kyuubi answered. "Back before you little insects had infested the world, I fought in wars. _Real _wars. The little scuffles you get in are usually nothing."

He leaned back and stared up at the 'sky.' Although, if they were really in the stomach of the Shinigami, he supposed that would just be the lining of the stomach. And, all the creepies that were after them were . . . stomach bile. Kyuubi snickered. He aimed to give Kagami some indigestion before their stay was up.

"But, the war I'm speaking of is the last one your species encountered, called the Third Great Ninja War," Kyuubi explained. "Your dad and I fought in it together."

Naruto perked up. "Really?"

Kyuubi sighed. "Don't tell me you want to hear some old war stories."

Naruto just grinned. "Come on, Kyuubi. You gotta have some good ones. Tell me how my dad got the name 'Yellow Flash.'"

"What no one ever told you?" he asked, somewhat surprised. "I would have thought there was a whole chapter on the great Fourth Hokage in the Academy."

"Well, it might have been on one of the days I couldn't go," Naruto answered. "Sometimes the teachers would get me out of the room and then take the rest of the class somewhere else. They probably didn't want the demon vessel hearing about the Yondaime."

"Iruka-sensei put a stop to that when I got into his class, but by then we'd covered all of the history," Naruto explained. "I guess I just missed it."

"So, how did Namikaze Minato become the Yellow Flash?" Kyuubi asked. "It actually started with his grandfather, Akihito."

* * *

_"Well, tell me!"__ Minato demanded. The four__teen-year-old folded his arms and glared at the elderly man, who was grinning and chuckling. _

_Namikaze Akihito shook his head and pulled up a weed, grunting with the effort. "Tell you what, exactly? Here, help me weed."_

_Minato flopped down on the ground next to his grandfather and started to pull weeds up. "Come on, Grandpa," he whined.__ "I've been reading up on the family texts in the library. You said we have a kekkai genkai, but through my studies I haven't found a common trait."_

_"What would you identify as a common trait?" Akihito asked. He grabbed his hand-held spade and dug out the roots of one very deep-set weed. _

_"Well, like the Sharingan or the __Byakugan__," Minato answered. He spun and glared at Kyuubi. "Hey, you help, too." _

_With a sigh, Kyuubi sat down in the dirt, carefully avoiding the patches of mud. They'd had torrential rains during the past week. Akihito had joked that the gods were angry with the small 'family,' since it seemed that the storms centered only on the valley where the Namikaze house was. __Unfortunately the rain had nearly drowned the plants, while giving the weeds plenty of nourishment. So, they were in the garden, ruthlessly massacring the weeds. The fox reached out and plucked a small weed out of the ground, tossing it on the ever-growing pile._

_"So, you want to know about the Namikaze kekkai genkai," Akihito murmured. "Well, I can tell you it isn't like most kekkai __genkais__."_

_"How do you mean?" Minato asked. He wrapped both hands around a particularly stubborn weed and yanked. _

_"Most bloodline traits are static," Akihito explained. __"Meaning that they are the same generation to generation and person to person.__ The Sharingan always has the same powers among all the Uchiha. Ours is dynamic."_

_Minato frowned, digging both heels into the ground and using it as leverage to uproot the weed. "So, ours—" He grunted, falling back onto his butt as the weed gave up. "—changes?"_

_"That's right," Akihito answered. _

_"So, how's it a kekkai genkai?" Minato __wondered. He crawled over to the line of lettuce heads and started poking around, looking for more weeds._

_The old man chuckled. "It's rather complicated," he admitted. "But, it is based off of each ninja's primary elemental chakra."_

_Understanding lit the teen's face. "Oh, so we have a kekkai genkai that . . . what, exactly? I'm still confused."_

_"Well, our kekkai genkai combines with the elemental chakra to allow us to, in effect, bend the laws of nature," he answered. As Minato contemplated the meaning of this—and life—Akihito stood and brushed his hands off on his pants. _

_"Bend the laws of nature?" Minato wondered. Kyuubi had to admit, he was intrigued. _

_Elder Namikaze smiled. "Follow me. I'll show you."_

_Minato threw Kyuubi a huge, excited grin and leaped up to follow his grandfather. "What are you gonna do, Grandpa?"_

_Kyuubi trailed a little bit behind them. "He won't tell you, Minato. Right, Akihito?"_

_Akihito laughed as Minato fumed, folding his arms and pouting. "Fine, but hurry up. I __wanna__ see!"_

_"Will you act your age instead of your sandal size," Akihito teased. _

_Minato looked down at his feet. They were sheathed in the __traditional ninja sandals, but looked more like snowshoes. He pulled one up and pulled the edge back, looking at the size printed on the inside. "They're the same!"_

_Kyuubi laughed and gave Minato a kick in the stomach. The young teenager toppled over, totally unbalanced. He fell into the mud with a flail of limbs and large feet. Kyuubi and Akihito howled with laughter as Minato pulled himself up. _

_"Don't worry," Akihito snickered. "You'll grow into them."_

_"Eventually," Kyuubi added, and that sent them into more fits of mirth. _

_Minato huffed. "Will you just show me, Grandpa?"_

_"Patience," Kyuubi snorted. __"Is a virtue."_

_The blond folded his arms and stared at them, giving the two his best__ intimidating__ ninja glare. He was already a Chuunin, but found it hard __to be threatening to the two people who meant most to him. _

_"I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover!" Kyuubi grinned. _

_"Alright, alright," Akihito interceded before Kyuubi and Minato could get into a real fight. "Simmer down, boys. I'll show you."_

_Minato perked up, forgetting his ire in anticipation of seeing his family's kekkai genkai in action. Akihito closed his e__yes and brought his hands up, drawing out and molding his chakra. __"Alright, Minato, attack me."_

_"What?" The teen looked positively terrified at the thought of harming his grandfather._

_"Don't worry," Akihito chuckled. "Just throw some kunai and shuriken; you won't hit me."_

_Minato grimaced and pulled a few weapons out of his pouch. "Are you sure?"_

_Akihito glared at __him,__ and Minato chucked the kunai half-heartedly at the old man. They were batted away easily and Akihito's glare intensified. "Is that how you attack an enemy?"_

_"No," Minato muttered. "But—" _

_"No 'buts,' child," he snapped. "You expect to be a good ninja with attacks like that? That was pathetic! When your superior gives you an order, you follow it!"_

_"I don't want to hurt you!" Minato protested. _

_"Do you trust me?"_

_"Yes," Minato answered. _

_"If you trust me," Akihito said slowly. "Trust that I will not be hurt. __Attack me!"_

_Minato whipped out shuriken and threw them, the sharp metal whirling through the air. __Akihito didn't budge a muscle as they sped at him. Minato and Kyuubi tensed, a thousand images of spraying blood and dead grandfathers flashing in their eyes. But, despite the __true aim, they did not strike. Akihito, though he didn't move his feet, seemed to bend out of the way for every kunai and shuriken. _

_Akihito's very body contorted and melted, so he slid around the weapons.__ The secon__d after the weapons passed him, the old man's body reformed. He dusted his clothes off and grinned at the two staring teenagers. _

_"You see," he began. "My primary elemental chakra is water. __I have developed the ability through our kekkai genkai make my body as liquid and bendable as water. Each member of our family has used it differently, if yours were water, you would certainly develop something distant from mine."_

_Kyuubi shook his head. "That's one hell of a bloodline you inherited, Minato."_

_"Wait, here," Akihito commanded. He disappeared into the house and came back a few minutes carrying two small slips of __rough-looking paper. "These are made from bark from the oldest trees in Konoha. If you channel a bit of chakra into them, they'll tell you what your elemental chakra is."_

_Minato's eyes lit up and he snatched one of them out of his grandfather's hands. Kyuubi just chuckled. "I already know mine."_

_"Humor me."_

_Kyuubi put a little bit of his real chakra into the paper and it exploded in flames. "Cool," Minato chimed. He turned his attention to the bit of bark in his hands. Moments later, it crumpled. _

_Akihito laughed. "Well, yours is lightning. I'm not surprised."_

* * *

"So, my bloodline trait is linked to my elemental chakra?" Naruto asked, eyes lighting. "Man, that's so cool!" 

Kyuubi snickered; Naruto's eyes lit up the exact same way Minato's eyes had. "Yeah, that's the idea," he acknowledged.

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Okay, how did my dad use it?"

"What was your dad's most famous jutsu?"

"Rasengan."

Kyuubi barely resisted the urge to facepalm. "The Rasengan you know was barely finished by the time he died. That wouldn't have earned him the same kind of fear and respect as his other infamous technique."

Naruto scratched his head and pouted. He really didn't know that much about the Yondaime. He knew he was the fourth Hokage, and that he had invented the Rasengan. He was supposedly the greatest ninja of all time. He was called the Yellow Flash, and he was a hero from the war. Beyond that . . .

"Come on, kit," Kyuubi snarled. "You lived with the man for weeks. How can you not know anything about him? Here, I'll give you a hint. Think about the kunai he gave you."

"That wasn't the . . ." Naruto trailed off. He had been about to say _That__ wasn't the Fourth, that was my dad. _Instead, he just focused on the kunai. When his dad had come to save him, when he'd thrown the weird kunai, what had he said?

_It's also called the Flying Thunder God Technique because I use the seal as a lightning rod of sorts. I hone in on it and can transport myself to any seal instantly._

"Lighting rod!" Naruto exclaimed. "He transports himself from seal to seal, using it like a lightning rod!"

Kyuubi reached out and patted him on the top of the head. "Good job!"

Naruto batted his hand away. Kyuubi just laughed and threw them both behind his head. "Yeah, that's how your dad used his kekkai genkai. Like a lightning rod."

"So, how do you think I can use it?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"I dunno," Kyuubi shrugged. "It's up to you. Your heritage is much harder to tap into and control, but in turn it can be far more powerful, and impossible to copy."

Naruto's mind was running wild with the possibilities. "Wow."

"Yep, you have one heck of a birthright, little one," Kyuubi murmured.

"Hey, Kyuubi," Naruto asked, suddenly hesitant. "You mention an old man a lot, my dad's grandfather."

"Akihito," the fox reminisced. "He was a rare one, that's for sure. He and I would team up against Minato all the time. We'd make him do the dishes, run to the store, or just drive him up the wall with teasing. He was a fun old man."

Naruto bit his lip, envy shooting through him. The way Kyuubi spoke of them, his father and great-grandfather, it sounded like the three had been a family. He almost didn't hear when Kyuubi kept talking.

"Yeah, it would be even better when your mom was around. Oh, the fun we'd have with Minato! He was never the kind to tease or joke like that. He'd occasionally get in a witty comment or two, but mostly, he was just nice and kind. He'd take it all with a smile, never complaining, just blushing sometimes. That was before he fell in love with her though." Kyuubi made a face. "Then I had to leave the room for fear I'd get a cavity. They were just so sweet together."

Naruto opened his mouth, intending to ask Kyuubi about his mom, but was cut off. The scream echoed through the silence of the Death Goddess' stomach. Both of them sat straight up.

"What was that?" Naruto asked, preparing for whatever was coming after them next.

"More like, _who _was that?" Kyuubi asked, eyes scanning in all direction.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked as he clambered to his feet.

"That scream," Kyuubi snapped as the two of them began to scramble down the slope. "Was human."

* * *

"So, the Fifth Hokage wants to see one of us." 

The priests gathered in the courtyard shifted uneasily. They did not ask why; their leader would tell them soon enough.

"She apparently needs help with one of her ninjas. She believes this particular . . . person is in need of some spiritual guidance."

The leader fell silent, simply staring down at the piece of paper in his hands. The others began to be restless, but he did not respond. He was thinking of the possibilities of this encounter.How he'd looked forward to meeting this individual.

"Bishamon?" a brave, lesser priest called out. "Who is it that requires our help?"

Bishamon smiled. "Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

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* * *

So, that's all for this chapter. I have big plans for Naruto's kekkai genkai, and the priest. I haven't decided whether or not Akihito is going to be alive in the 'real world' or not. He's so much fun, but I can't figure how he wasn't there for Naruto.

Well, review, please! I'm very sorry about the eternal wait. It won't be so long next time, I promise!


	11. Chapter 8

See? I said I'd have it up by this weekend. But not all of you read my HP fic. You should! Go read it! As Supreme, Magnificent Ruler of the Fanfiction Universe I order you to--wait. Never mind.

So, this is something I don't think any of you have mentioned in your reviews yet. Oh, man, I'm tired. It's 3 am.

Chapter 8

Naruto scrambled after Kyuubi, who was hurtling down the slope at a breakneck pace. In the distance, the eerie, all-too-human screams could be heard.

"Kyuubi," he called. Hope was beginning to form in his chest. "Do you think that's my dad?"

The fox jumped over a small crack in the ground and continued running. "Maybe, maybe not. I'm sure that there are more humans in here. Besides, do you really _want _your dad to be in pain like that?"

"No, I guess not," he muttered, sliding down the slope.

Kyuubi stopped for a second and spun to look Naruto in the eye. "You guessnot? You _guess _not? What the hell do you mean?"

Naruto was saved from replying by another agonized scream. The fox glared at him a second more, then spun and flew to the source of the sound. Naruto followed, albeit a bit more slowly. His ribs were still impairing his movement, and guilt was worming its way into his stomach. Ahead of him, Kyuubi started to all-out sprint as the ground leveled off.

"Remember," he called over his shoulder. "Don't use your chakra unless absolutely necessary."

Naruto nodded and trailed after the fox, unhappy and conflicted. He didn't fall too far behind though. If one of the tentacled creatures came after him, Naruto wasn't sure he could handle it on his own. He would have been eaten if Kyuubi hadn't been there last time. Even though it wasn't the end of the world, since he couldn't die in this world, but still. He couldn't actually, permanently die, but that didn't mean he was fine with the idea.

_Then why am I waiting behind? Why am I going so slowly?_

Naruto picked up the pace again, berating himself. _What is wrong with me? _As the ground Naruto was on leveled, he risked raising his head. It had been down so that he didn't trip and fall. He scanned the horizon, and froze in horror.

Kyuubi was shrinking into the distance, rapidly approaching a large, morphing, white _something. _The thing wasn't Slimy or Big Mama, but something told Naruto this thing could be worse. It was attacking something, someone rather, on the ground. With a roar, Kyuubi launched himself at it.

As Naruto got closer, he saw that the white blob wasn't in fact a blob at all. It looked like an amorphous, boneless monstrosity, but in fact it was made up _entirely _of bones, tiny little bones that shifted and rearranged themselves. An appendage suddenly jutted out of the thing, spiking toward the figure on the ground. Kyuubi leaped at it, lengthening his claws and swiping through it.

The unattached spike shattered as it hit the ground and all the little pieces skittered, of their own volition, back into the main body.

Naruto gaped, dread over taking him. This was _worse _than the other things they'd fought: it reformed! As Naruto continued to sprint forward, Kyuubi made more attacks, but almost immediately, the thing healed itself.

"Naruto!" Kyuubi bellowed, dancing out of the walking graveyard's way. "Forget what I said!"

"You say a lot," Naruto shouted back. The closer he got to the thing, the more he realized how enormous it was. He then saw that it was, in fact, expanding itself to meet the threat of both Kyuubi and Naruto.

"Use your chakra!" he roared. "Use jutsus, use Rasengan, use anything, dammit!"

"Got it!" Naruto channeled his chakra to his legs, which gave him an extra burst of speed. He surged forward and created four shadow clones of himself. Two jumped over the thing's, uh, head, and the other three sprinted around it.

Naruto pushed himself off of one clones back, launching himself high into the air. The four clones attacked each giving Bones a kick into the air, right at the original Naruto.

"U!"

"Zu!"

"Ma!"

"Ki!"

Bones shot at Naruto, who raised his right leg high above his head. He pumped chakra into it. Tsunade had never taught him the secret of her superstrength, but she'd explained it to him once. Hold all your chakra into one point on your body, then release it exactly at the moment of contact. It took a lot of chakra control, which Naruto wasn't too good at, but hey, what was the worst that could happen?

"Naruto Rendan!"

Instead of all Naruto's chakra going into Bones and blasting him into little boney bits, it exploded _everywhere. _Bones was sent plummeting back to the ground and Naruto was sent in the opposite direction—namely, up.

_"Naruto!"_

Kyuubi stared up in horror as the blond bumblehead flew high, high into the air. _How does he always manage to do this? _Well, the kit wasn't coming back down anytime soon. The fox sprinted to the figure lying on the ground, who was not actually Minato. He hooked his hands under the man's armpits and began to drag him away. Kyuubi wasn't too worried about the man's injuries, seeing as how he was already dead. He'd come back soon. Probably before Naruto and Kyuubi found a way to incapacitate the damned monster, too. He just needed to get the corpse out of the way so he didn't trip over it.

Both of them were knocked back a good twenty feet as Bones crashed into the ground. The shockwave also destroyed all of Naruto's clones.

_Damn, those clones were his only real hope of landing safely. __Especially with his broken ribs._Kyuubi scanned the battlefield—Bones was stirring—for any hope of catching Naruto.

He got zilch.

Naruto was putting swear words together in ways he had never thought possible prior to his trip here. This was the second time he had been sent airborne since entering the Shinigami's stomach. He did _not _enjoy it. Oh, no, quite the contrary, he _hated _flying. _Hated _it, as of right now.

An incredible sense of urgency filled him as he saw the ground approaching again. He cast around for Kyuubi desperately, but the fox was making no moves to catch him this time.

_Well, it's up to me, huh? _

Unfortunately, no ideas were forthcoming as gravity dragged him to the ground.

_Think, think, __think_

Naruto screwed his eyes shut and wracked his brain.

_More shadow clones? _

_No, not enough chakra!_

_I can't just land! I'll break my legs._

_What can I do? Maybe if I roll and try to absorb the impact—_

_No, my ribs are already __broken,__ my __lungs'll__ collapse if I try that. Granny Tsunade always __warns me about pushing myself too far. _

_Can I use my chakra to make a cushion before I hit the ground? _

_No that'll—wait._

_Shouldn't I have hit the ground by now?_

Kyuubi narrowed his eyes. Naruto was glowing. Not just exceedingly happy, which he wouldn't be at the moment, but _glowing._As in, providing a light source. A pretty, soft, white glow had enveloped the kit. Not only that, he was slowing in his fall.

By the time Naruto was within ten feet of the ground, he was just drifting down, rather like a feather.

At this point, Naruto opened his eyes and stared blankly. "Wha—?"

Unfortunately, before any analysis or comment could be made, Bones woke up from his shock. The creature obviously had some kind of intelligence and pride, because it appeared to sneer at Naruto, who was floating to him, before forming itself into a cudgel and slamming itself into his torso.

_"__Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaamit__!"_

"Great, now he's all the way over there."

A moan from behind him grabbed Kyuubi's attention. The man was coming back, to life and consciousness. The fox crept closer to him, head tilting to the side. This man was oddly familiar.

"Kyuubi!" Naruto howled. "_Help!"_

Bones formed himself into a vertical position and swiveled to 'face' Kyuubi. He tensed, glancing between his airborne kit and the monster.

"Take out that thing," the man behind him coughed. "I'll catch the blond."

Kyuubi didn't question how, he just threw himself back into the fray. Bones made himself taller, apparently trying to intimidate Kyuubi.

The nine-tailed fox was undaunted, and told the creature so, in the form of a roar.

Bones was knocked back a few paces, but regained its equilibrium quickly. It went through a series of transformations, each more complex than the last. Two appendages slithered out to each side, and Kyuubi received the message he was supposed to be quite impressed.

With a sneer, Kyuubi summoned up his own chakra—cut in half though it was. The red energy whipped out of his body, wrapping around him and shooting into the sky. He knew it was rather foolish, but he had to show this _plebian _demon who it was dealing with.

The nine tails stretched up, wrapping around themselves into one, giant coiled mass of demonic chakra. Kyuubi grinned. Bones had stopped his shifting in awe of the power that was Kyuubi. The fox snickered and prepared to bring it smashing down on the creature.

"Wait!"

Kyuubi froze and spun around, pinning the previously dead man with a glare. To his credit, the man only flinched slightly. "Why?" Kyuubi demanded.

"Even if you pummel that monstrosity into a million pieces, it will only heal itself and come after us again. I for one don't fancy being butchered by it more than once."

"You have a point," the fox conceded. "But do you have an alternative suggestion?"

The other man chuckled. "Just tell me you know a Containing Sealing Spell."

"I do, how will that help?"

The other man smiled back and raised his hands into a quick handseal. "Mokuton! Wood Style: Four post enclosing prison!"

The man thrust his hands out and two long trunks of wood exploded out of each, shooting up and surrounding Bones. Branches split out from each of them, forming a six-sided box that completely imprisoned the writhing monstrosity. Within seconds, Bones was no longer in sight, trapped inside the interlocking branches of the man's technique. Several of the branches suddenly extended itself in the direction Naruto had been thrown, chasing after him.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked, giving Kyuubi a look. "That thing will break itself out in a matter of minutes. Seal it!"

Kyuubi threw his head back and laughed, but sealed Bones inside the wood prison, enforcing the wood with demonic chakra. He finished quickly and spun back to the man. "Where's that idiot who calls himself a ninja?"

"I caught him with my trees," the man answered. "This way."

The two set out sprinting across the expanse of plain. "So, what else are you running from?"

"You met the creatures with the tentacles, the ones that eat your chakra?"

"Oh, damn."

"Definitely."

"So you naturally sent out huge waves of chakra, like a huge beacon. 'Come find me! I'm right here!'"

Kyuubi hissed as they approached a huge amount of trees, all tangled and interwoven. In the middle of them, there was a struggling figure, all limbs and frustrated curse words. Kyuubi jumped up and dragged Naruto out of the brambles.

"You okay, kit?"

"Argh! I'm fine! Lemme go!" Naruto thrashed and broke free of Kyuubi's grip. He leaped down, landing hard on his feet.

"You'll get shin splints if you're not careful," the other man warned.

Naruto looked up and his eyes widened. He wore a Konoha forehead protector and red body armor, reminiscent of about fifty years ago. "You—"

"Gotta move, kit," Kyuubi urged, grabbing Naruto's elbow and steering him away from the side of the battle. "There are bound to be a lot of things coming after us now. We can talk later."

Naruto made a face, but resigned himself to more running. Flying and running, flying and running that was all he'd done since Kagami ate him. That and—whatever had happened when Bones had thrown him into the sky. What had happened then?

After who knows how long of running, Kyuubi dragged the ninjas up another mountain and they fell to the ground, panting slightly.

"Can we rest here?" the man in the red armor asked.

Kyuubi nodded. "Yeah, but not for long. Who are you?"

"He's the First Hokage."

The fox looked between Naruto and the 'Shodai.' Now that he thought about it, it was the only answer. Only two humans in history had the ability to manipulate trees in that manner. One was Naruto's captain, Yamato. The other was the First Hokage. Kyuubi leaned in and inspected the man's face. "You know, you don't really look like the face on the mountain."

The Shodai gave a tight lipped smile. "Indeed. Apparently, Konoha's talent doesn't lean toward carving. You'll find that more in Rock."

"Well, you look like him, and you've got his talent," Kyuubi mused. "But how the hell did you get in here?"

"It was Sarutobi," the man murmured. His brow knit as he thought back. "I had died, and moved on, but someone summoned me back. He had black hair, gold eyes and a very long tongue."

_"Orochimaru!"_

The Shodai started. "Yes, I believe Sarutobi called him that. He performed some kind of jutsu." Here he reached up and touched the back of his head. "Something that made us obey him."

"Us?" Kyuubi asked.

"My brother and I. We were forced to fight Saru." The Shodai's eyes filled with sadness. "He ended up using some old sealing technique. Orochimaru apparently recognized it, because he tried to get us to pull back, but Sarutobi was a bit too quick. And I wanted to get caught, if it meant we ended the fighting."

"He used the Dead Demon Reaper Seal," Kyuubi said, scratching his head.

"Yes, that was what he called it," the Shodai confirmed. "He managed to seal me and my brother, but apparently, Sarutobi couldn't quite get all of Orochimaru. His arms are . . . floating around here somewhere."

"So that's how he defeated Snakeface," Naruto muttered, eyes wide. "Wait, does that mean the Old Man's in here, too?"

"Old Man?" The Hokage asked.

Kyuubi nodded. "The brat comes up with disrespectful names for everyone. If you hang around him long enough, you'll get one."

"What are you?"

Naruto grinned and Kyuubi grimaced. "Furball."

He chuckled at that. "You've got guts, young man. What's your name?"

"Naruto, Nam—uh—Uzu . . . just call me Naruto." Naruto noticed the strange look Kyuubi gave him, but didn't respond.

"You know, when I saw you, I thought you were someone else. He's been here a while, saved my ass a couple of times."

Naruto nodded. "That would be my dad. We're here to save him. We're here to get him out."

The Shodai perked up, his interest caught. "How do you intend to do that?"

"Well, there's a way, but . . ." Kyuubi trailed off regretfully. "It will only work for us, and only once. We can't help you."

The Hokage seemed to deflate slightly. "I see. Well perhaps I can help you find this young man. I've seen him wearing the Hokage robes."

Kyuubi bobbed his head in affirmation. "Yep. He was the fourth. Died sealing me into the brat over there."

Said brat was deep in concentration; there was something nagging at his brain. It wasn't fair that the First, the Second, and the Old Man were all trapped in here. All because of Orochimaru.

"Your granddaughter's the Fifth Hokage, you know?"

The Shodai's eyes lit up. "Tsunade, my little Tsunade?"

"Well, she's not so little if you—never mind." Kyuubi figured it might not be a good idea to mention a man's granddaughters _assets _ in front of him.

_Once you come out of the Shinigami's belly, you cannot go back in._

_Once you come out . . ._

"Wait."

Kyuubi and the First Hokage turned to look at Naruto. The blond raised his head and grinned at the pair. "Samuru didn't say anything about coming out once. He said I can't go back in once I come out."

"And?" The Shodai asked. "What does that mean?"

Naruto's grin widened. "I know the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

* * *

--

* * *

Well, that's all for now. I don't think that's a cliffhanger. I think you can all figure out what he's going to do.

Tell me what you think! Pleases :D

Oh, and what was I going to say? That's it: I'm registered as a beta reader on this site. If any of you are interested, spring break is coming up and I'll need something to do after I sleep for 36 hours.


	12. Interlude III

Wow, new chapter up already! It's short, but soon finals will be over and spring break will have arrived! Then I can get ahead so that if I get slammed again, I'll still update. Yeah.

Just hang in there. 3 days. That's how long until I can take a break from life. 3 days.

And just hang in there for this fic. I know some of you don't like this part, but it is necessary for the story. I'll wrap it up as soon as possible so we can get out and figure out 1) why Kyuubi attacked Konoha 2) how Minato's going to handle life and 3) where Tama and Meara have been.

_Interlude III_

_They came after him, long, long after him, though they had come before him in reality. He came across the first when fighting. They defeated the monster together, but he didn't trust. He couldn't trust. _

_He ran._

_He met the second while running. The second reached out to him, but again he refused. It was a trick, it had to be. It was the darkness, the void, trying to trick him. _

_He hid._

_He met the third while hiding. When the third opened his arms, his familiar, wrinkled, strong arms, he returned the gesture. And he cried, he cried for the first human touch he'd felt in too long. _

_But he wept that it would__ soon__ no longer be quite so human, so warm, or so accepting. _

_Then, as the third spoke, he smiled. _

_Some of the void retreated at _his _name. The third said that _he _was brave, and stubborn. _He _had her spirit, but his heart. _He _painted the Hokage monument. _He _had given his stone f__ace long, feminine eyelashes, __swirly cheek decorations, and a runny nose._

_He laughed. _

_He wanted to stay, to hear more of _him. _He was human when he thought of _him, _of his little baby boy. _

_Not a baby anymore, the third had said. __A shinobi._

_How long had it been? He wondered. How long since he'd left her to raise their child? Had she forgiven him? It seemed an eternity, forever. The memories were fading every moment. _

_He wanted to stay, but the ground rumbled beneath him. The third didn't feel it, hadn't been here long enough. _

_They were coming for him. If they found him, they would find the third. He left again, for the same reason he refused the third's help in sealing. He knew it was futile, the third would eventually succumb. All things did. _

_Still, he could postpone the inevitable._

_When he met the arms, he didn't know quite what to do._

_He recognized the chakra. It was his sensei's old teammate, a man who'd trained him as well as the young girl. As he approached the arms—where was the rest of his soul?—he realized the chakra was not quite the same. It felt slightly different. _

_Darker, twisted._

_As he defended himself against the arms, he realized they had multiple chakras in them. I__t had merged with other chakras, other souls. At first he thought the merging was the reason for the depravation, but as the hands wrapped around his neck, he thought perhaps the soul was perverse to begin with._

_He thought perhaps he should not have listened to this man._

_The hands tightened, crushing his windpipe._

_He should not have trusted him. _

_The Realm laughed._

* * *

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

* * *

So? There are Minato's reasons for not staying with the other humans. We'll get back to the story, and find out what's happening with the priests, Tsunade, Sasuke and Jiraya a little bit in the next chapter, moving the story along. :) 

Oh, and I know the manga indicates that Orochimaru left before the Kyuubi attack, but for the purposes of the plot, in this series, his departure will be after it. This story is already decidedly AU.


	13. Chapter 9

Hello! Ever-faithful readers, I have returned. In case any of you care, my finals went alright (except for Calculus. Calculus and I are hostiles. Relations are tense and stress filled at best, but we have just declared open war. Calc won the first battle, but I will vanquish my enemy.)

. . . okay. 

Moving on. New chappie is up! Everyone cheer. We're getting to the culmination of the Inside the Shinigami Arc. Finally, then we can get to the good stuff.

Chapter 9

"Let me go with you," the First Hokage demanded. "I can help you fight."

Kyuubi and Naruto shook their heads, almost in tandem. "No way," Kyuubi insisted. "We don't know how long this is going to take. You've already been here too long. You may not be able to tell, you probably can't, but this place has affected you a lot."

The Shodai sighed heavily. He didn't want to admit it, but the demon was right. The Shinigami's stomach—Naruto and Kyuubi had explained that was where he was—was affecting him. "You two are saying it isn't safe for me to stay here anymore."

They nodded, again synchronized. He figured it was from sharing a body for sixteen years, but the two of them often shared the same mannerisms. 

"Look, I'll create some clones that'll look for the other three. One will go with you and get you out," Naruto explained.

The Shodai frowned at Naruto. "Just how many clones can you create safely?"

Naruto grinned. "A ton. Don't worry about it."

"Actually, he won't be making that many, it's not safe to split the chakra up that much. And we'll be creating them together," Kyuubi amended. "Because I give the brat the chakra boost to make all those clones."

Naruto made a face at him, but nodded. "Yeah, you just follow our clone and he'll get you out."

"How do you even know how to make Shadow clones?" he asked, eyeing Naruto shrewdly. "That is a forbidden Jounin-level technique."

"Ah, haha, well," Naruto scratched the back of his head. He wanted to brag about learning it in an hour when he was twelve, but, well . . . 

He _had _stolen the man's scroll. 

Kyuubi grinned, seeing Naruto's predicament. "The brat broke into the Hokage's library and stole the Scroll of Sealing. He snuck off to the woods and learned the technique before his Academy sensei found him."

The Shodai opened and closed his mouth several times. His dark eyes settled on Naruto, and the blond got the feeling he was being dissected. He shifted uncomfortably, but the Hokage only chuckled after a moment. "There is more to you than meets the eye."

Naruto blinked, he wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Kyuubi laughed and nodded. "Yeah, the kit's an enigma, alright."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks at the fox; he knew _that _was an insult. Kyuubi pulled off sarcasm like no other. "Whatever, don't listen to furball. We gotta get you out of here."

"The kit has a point," Kyuubi agreed. 

"How are we going to do this?" Naruto asked. "It's one thing when you're in my body. I can just grab some of your chakra."

Kyuubi stood and motioned for Naruto to do the same. "Just go through the motions you usually do to make shadow clones. Leave the chakra to me."

Naruto was skeptical. "Are you sure, Kyuubi? How are you going to do anything?"

Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "Just trust me, okay?"

"Yeah, trust you," Naruto muttered, giving the fox a sideways look, but he brought his hands up anyway. They slid easily into the familiar sign. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" 

Naruto _saw _the chakra come out of him, and his eyes widened as it began to form three shapes. He fought the urge to shudder as the chakra was pulled from him. Then, red chakra came from Kyuubi and merged with his. Naruto steadied again and three clones had formed. Blue eyes blinked blankly. "How'd you do that?"

Kyuubi grinned. "Look, little human, there are more ways to manipulate chakra and energy than are_ dreamed _of in your philosophy, and I've learned most of them." He turned to the clones. "You all know what to do. One of you go with the First Hokage and get him out. The other two will do tracking spells to find the Second and Third Hokages, got it?"

"Why is he giving my clones orders?" Naruto muttered, kicking sulkily at the dirt. 

Kyuubi's response was a snicker, but the clones still had Naruto's personality. "Yeah," one of them agreed. "We'll only take orders from him."

The other two folded their arms and nodded their heads enthusiastically. Kyuubi rolled his eyes and looked to the original. "Well, Naruto?"

". . . do what he said."

_I swear my eyes are going to fall out, _Kyuubi thought as he rolled his eyes yet again. 

"Naruto, Kyuubi, good luck," the first Hokage said. "I hope to see you soon."

With that, the Hokage followed one of Naruto's clones and they began to run back to the entrance place. 

"So, kits," Kyuubi started, turning to the remaining three Narutos. "Ready to do some spells? 

* * *

Ino leaned back in her chair, arms folded. Her father had performed the mind jutsu yesterday and she'd been puzzling over the mystery that Naruto had become since then. She'd decided on a course of action late last night, unfortunately not able to tap into Shikamaru's genius.

Her father's library contained many of the Yamanaka's clan's scrolls. Of course, when she was little, he'd rarely let her in, for fear she'd open up a scroll with something sealed in it, or get into his weapons chest. Now that she was a fully qualified Chuunin, however, she had almost full access. 

Access to certain jutsus, like the one her father had used. 

Instead of trying to learn it in the library, where either of her parents could walk in at any moment, she'd taken it to the hospital, where she'd have a bit more privacy from prying eyes.

Ino went over the scroll in her hands one more time. The jutsu was complex, but she'd mastered others just as hard before. Feeling confident, she stood and closed her eyes. Ino calmed her mind and gathered her chakra. Concentrating, she performed each hand sign slowly and meticulously. Finishing her hands moved into the circle. She held them out in front of her, looking through them at Naruto. 

Her chakra flared and her mind slid out of her body. Ino shuddered and fought the urge to close her eyes. Doing so before the mind reached its target was dangerous; older members of the clan had warned against it, telling her horror stories of soulless ninjas who'd closed their eyes. 

Everything went black for a moment, and then Ino was standing in a long corridor. 

"_Ugh!" she cried. There was at least six inches of water covering the floor. Ino lifted one of her feet out of it and sneered. It didn't smell bad, but, still. Naruto's mind was a sewer. _

_With a sigh, Ino began to wander down the halls, looking for whatever had scared her father so much. There were pipes running through the corridors above her head and all the walls were made of solid, thick bricks. She walked quickly, not wanting to spend longer in here than necessary. _

_Ino shivered; it was too quiet in here. Knowing how loud Naruto could be, she'd unconsciously expected his mind to be as clamorous and jumpy as the boy himself. The silence and stillness was creepy. _

_The young blonde turned down a corridor and came upon a huge chamber. She stared around, fascinated and awed by the size of it. Ino soon got bored because there was nothing to see in here. She'd expected something a bit more interesting, since she was in Naruto's brain. He did have a love affair with the color orange after all. _

_With a sigh, she turned to leave, only to find the entrance she'd come in through gone. Ino frowned, reaching out and pressing against the wall. It was solid. _

_She looked around, searching for where the entrance had gone. All she could see, as far as her eye could reach, were rough stone walls. Ino began to run down one side. There had to be some way out. All she found was another wall. _

_She ran down that way, as well. Again, only a wall was there to greet her. Ino began to panic as she ran in squares. _

"_Okay, okay, calm down, Ino," she whispered, eventually slumping against a wall. "You can get out of this. You know you can. Just end the jutsu."_

_Ino closed her eyes and cut her chakra. She opened them again, expecting to see Naruto lying in the bed in the hospital. _

_There was only stone._

* * *

Sasuke waited until a nurse found Ino and tried to wake her up. When she was unsuccessful, the woman called for help. More nurses rushed in and looked at Ino. After a time, they carried her out, telling everyone to call for Tsunade. 

He slid inside through the window, having left the ANBU outside under a genjutsu. Not the same one he'd used on Ino, though. He'd just changed the handseals on her scroll, made her see the signs for a jutsu that trapped her in her own mind. 

After a while, the genjutsu would wear off and she would wake up, but until then, the entire hospital would be focused on Ino, who had apparently fallen under the same spell Naruto had. 

It would be plenty of time for him to get the information he needed.

* * *

The three Narutos finished the spells at exactly the same times. 

The first clone, who had the honor of searching for the Old Man, felt a tug around his navel, leading back the way they'd come. He grimaced, but sprinted off in that direction anyway. 

"Of course, I have to pass right by the old bag of Bones," he muttered unhappily. The clone veered off to the left, intent on avoiding the trapped monstrosity. He sighed, the spell was still pointed directly at it. 

The spell the Narutos had chosen to use was designed for a moving target. It created an invisible tether between the seeker and the object, though the object couldn't feel it. The tether was pulled in the direction of the target, in this case Sarutobi. 

"What is he, standing right next to the thing?" the clone growled. It certainly felt that way. 

The clone continued to run forward, and the spell continued to direct him to the wooden box that Bones was in. He kept on the path to run around it, but either Sarutobi was always on the exact opposite of the box, or he was actually standing right next to it. 

Resigned, the clone turned and headed for the last known location of Bones. Unfortunately, the spell told him that was the right way to go. He saw the ugly wooden prison, glowing red with chakra, but what really caught his interest was the figure standing near it. He was wearing all black, with a greenish gray helmet and arm guards. His hitae-ate was on a really long cloth, so that the ends trailed to the ground. 

The clone frowned. Was this the old man? Why wasn't he wearing his Hokage robes?

Still, the spell was telling him this was Sarutobi. The clone slowed to a cautious walk as he approached the black-clad figure. He was certainly short enough to be the Old Man. 

"Hey, Old Man Hokage?" the clone asked, slowly walking up to the man. "Is that you?"

Sarutobi straightened and turned to the clone. "Let me see, blond hair, blue eyes and utter disrespect. It really is you, then Naruto."

The clone grinned. "That's right, Old Man. The one and only—well, the great and magnificent Naruto is here to save you!"

Sarutobi chuckled. "Really? And just how do you intend to do that?"

"Come with me and I'll show you!" the clone chirped. 

The two of them were running along a tall ridge when Sarutobi spoke again. "Who was the person with you? It looked like . . . someone who—" 

"It was Kyuubi," the clone answered. 

Sarutobi shot him a sharp look. "Is that so? How exactly—" 

"I'd love to explain," the clone interrupted. "But we need to get you out of here, okay, Old Man?"

Sarutobi nodded in understanding. "I trust you know where you are going?"

The clone nodded. "Yeah, we can get you out of here."

"I know you weren't aware of this," Sarutobi said. "But during the war with Sound and Sand, Orochimaru summoned the First and Second Hokages."

The clone nodded again. "Yeah, I know. We already found the First. He's on his way out with another of the clones. There's one more looking for the Second, and the original Naruto and Kyuubi are searching for t—the Fourth."

Sarutobi shot a look to the clone. He'd heard the slight stutter in the clone's voice, and knew that the clones reflected the attitude and feelings of the original. 

"Have you found out the truth, Naruto?" he asked. The pair veered off, leaping over a shallow ravine. 

The clone was silent for a while. "You mean about my parents?"

"Yes, about Minato and Meara."

The clone nodded again. "Yeah, I know who my father was."

"And will be," Sarutobi reminded him. 

The clone didn't respond.

* * *

The second clone set off after the second Hokage. His task was a heck of a lot harder, in his opinion. He didn't even know the Second Hokage, so how was he supposed to get the man to come with him? The clone figured he could just try talking to the man. He should be reasonable, having been a Hokage and all. _And _he was the one to found the Ninja Academy.

The clone wasn't sure how that affected his argument, but it was good to know. 

He ran as quickly as he could—considering the fact that he was made entirely of Naruto and Kyuubi's chakra and at least three big bads in this place would be trying to _eat _him.

_Why me?_

* * *

The First Hokage followed one of Naruto's clones across the dark plains of the Shinigami's stomach. According to the two who had found him, it had been nearly four years since his 'death.' Four years stuck in this place, he marveled that he hadn't gone mad. 

He had also become extremely worried about the fact that Minato—as he'd learned his name was—had been here four times that long. He hadn't seen the man in, well, in a while, but last time he had, the man hadn't been doing so well. He had been twitchy and distant, zombie-like. Based on what he could gather from Kyuubi, the Shinigami's stomach waged war on its 'inhabitants,' trying to turn them, or digest them as it were. It seemed that it was doing well on winning that war with Minato.

By the gods, he looked like Naruto, though. The two were practically identical. The First hoped that his son would be enough to bring Minato back to humanity. 

It looked like he would be, thankfully. Sneaking into the _Hokage's _library, stealing the Scroll of Sealing, and learning a technique from it in a matter of hours. When the boy was in the Academy, no less. The First let a small smile creep on his face. Something told him that the blond would be able to save his father.

_I really hope they find him soon._

They started to run up an incline. "We're almost there," the clone called over his shoulder. 

"Where?"

"Samuru told Kyuubi and the original Naruto that when they were ready to get out, they should go to the place they came in and say some special phrase, and they'd come out," the clone explained.

"What exactly is this special phrase?" the Hokage wondered. He shifted his balance forward. The small mountain they were scaling was becoming steeper. 

"Keep up," the clone encouraged, helping the Shodai up the mountain. "We're almost there."

The mountain leveled off, with a plateau of about ten feet in diameter. The clone looked up, grinning. "We're here."

The Shodai Hokage nodded. "Okay then. Now what?"

"Pull my finger."

" . . ." 

The clone laughed. "Okay, seriously, now, grab my hand. You have to be holding on to me for this to work."

With a sigh, and a look that promised death if the clone pulled anything, the First Hokage reached out and grabbed his hand. 

"There's no place like home."

The clone and the Hokage were nearly thrown to the ground as it shook. "Is this supposed to happen?" the latter asked. 

Naruto's duplicate shrugged. "How should I know?"

The ground continued to shake, and it came to their knowledge that it was sinking, in a small circle, directly around Naruto's clone. "Oh, don't tell me we're getting out of the Shinigami's stomach the _natural _way," the clone begged.

A grimace stole over the Hokage's face as he imagined it. He really didn't want to be the god's excrement. The ground stopped moving. Just as suddenly, it shot upwards. The two were propelled straight at the 'sky' of the Shinigami's belly.

Kagami made a face and put her hand on her stomach. Something, or someone rather, was coming up. She shifted back into the huge, towering form that frightened little children and opened her mouth. 

Two figured came up and out of her mouth. They tumbled to the floor, rolling carefully to absorb the impact better. 

The gods murmured. Had the boy succeeded?

The blonde stood up and dusted himself off. "Wow! I can't believe I didn't disintegrate with that!"

The Shodai Hokage stood more slowly, looking around. The assembled gods were all staring at him. Hokage though he was, it was a bit unnerving. 

Kagami morphed back into the woman form. She stepped forward, circling and inspecting the two humans. Her face turned into a frown. 

"Who is this human? And where is Kyuubi?" she demanded.

The clone scratched the back of his head. "Ah, well, that's a long story. You really won't believe it . . ."

Kagami rushed forward and stopped an inch from the blond's face. She bared her teeth at him and he cringed. 

"Try me."

* * *

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* * *

So that's it. I will put in more with Sarutobi, like why he didn't approach Naruto and Kyuubi when he was watching them earlier. 

Oh, I also threw in a rather butchered, but still relatively recognizable, Shakespeare quote. Can anyone find it?

(You get a cookie if you can! This includes play and speaker, as well as of course what line in the chapter it was.)


	14. Chapter 10

Wow! I know, this is is amazing after the last few updates. Only a week! I got ahead on my writing during spring break--and updated all of my stories! Yay!

Okay, so Wolfpad, Twilight Falls, Spitfire-Hanyou17, BlIvorySS, spikemyangel, and aki6 all recognized the Shakespeare 'quote.'

Kyuubi said: "Look, little human, there are more ways to manipulate chakra and energy than are dreamed of in your philosophy." That is taken from Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

I'll admit, it is not one of the better known ones.

My roommate who proofread said this was kinda angsty, so be prepared. (No, not Minato _just _yet, but be patient, we're almost there! Even if I wanted to, I couldn't stretch this out too much longer without you all hating me.)

Chapter 10

Sasuke stepped up to Naruto's bedside and pried the blond's eyes open. He could enter his mind without it of course, but this would ensure a stronger connection. He would find out what was going on. Sasuke's eyes turned red and he slid into Naruto's mind.

* * *

The real Naruto felt the spell tug him to his left. He lowered his hands slowly.

"Well?" Kyuubi demanded. "Which way is he?"

Naruto lifted a finger and pointed to his left. "That way."

"Alright, kit," Kyuubi grinned, eyes scanning the horizon in that direction. "Let's go get your father."

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the fox's choice of words, but it had been brought up one too many times. Again, the image of two Namikaze Minatos came to him. One was the Minato from the other world, the one who had massaged his cramped legs and stayed with him when he had nightmares. The other was the one from his world, the one who had sealed a demon in him and then abandoned him.

He knew which one was his father.

Kyuubi, who had already started running, noticed that Naruto wasn't with him. He turned around and searched for the brat, who hadn't moved since performing the spell. "What's the matter, Naruto? Your injuries aren't bothering you, are they?"

Naruto shook his head, trying to get a handle on his emotions. _You're a ninja, dammit! You need to learn control!_

"Well then come on. We need to save your dad—"

"_Stop calling him that!" _

Kyuubi stopped moving. He had started to run in the direction Naruto had indicated, but now he froze and spun around to face the unmoving blond. "What?"

Naruto finally moved, spinning to meet Kyuubi head-on. "I said, stop calling _the Fourth Hokage _my _father. _He's not."

"The hell he isn't, brat," Kyuubi snarled.

Naruto folded his arms and thrust his chin out. Kyuubi sighed; the kit was in for a fight with this one, but he figured it would be a good idea to air all of this out. Better now than in the middle of a battle.

"Why are you refusing to accept him as your father?"

"He's not!" Naruto shouted.

"_Why?" _

"My _father, _my _dad, _was the man in the other universe!" Naruto retaliated. "Not the Fourth Hokage from my world."

Kyuubi stepped closer to Naruto. "He was an _illusion, _kit. He didn't really—"

"Don't say he didn't exist! DON'T!" Naruto bellowed. Something in the back of his mind was warning him that he was being too loud, that he would bring danger upon them. "That Samu-whatever guy said that the entire family was real _to me!_"

"But when you wake up in that hospital bed, it won't be that man who you wake up to!" Kyuubi shot back. "It will be your real father!"

Naruto shook his head, his blond locks flying. "No, he may have created me, but that does not make him my father, you stupid fox!"

"Oh, really?" Kyuubi sneered. "And why not, _exactly?"_

"Well, genius, maybe just the fact that he sealed you inside me and then _died, _condemning me to a life of misery and loneliness!" Naruto roared, giving Kyuubi a shove.

The fox didn't budge. "He did what he _had to do!"_

"As a Hokage!" Naruto shouted. "He was a great Hokage, giving his life to protect the village. But as far as I can tell, he was a shitty father!"

"Your father loved you!"

"Funny way of showing it, dontcha think?"

"He was protecting you!" Kyuubi retorted.

"_NO!" _Naruto howled. "No! You don't _protect _someone by setting it up so that they have the crappiest life possible and then dying! If he wanted to _protect _me, he shouldn't have died and _LEFT ME ALONE!"_

Comprehension dawned on Kyuubi. "So _that's _what this is about."

Naruto tried to get his breathing under control. "What are you talking about?" he snapped.

"You aren't mad that he stuck me inside you," Kyuubi said. "Hell, you understand that! You know that's what he had to do to save the village."

Naruto looked resolutely to the left of the fox, refusing to acknowledge what he was saying.

"No," Kyuubi continued. "You're pissed and hurt because he died, aren't you?"

Still, the blond refused to answer, though his breathing began to get fast and heavy again. Kyuubi was pushing at very old wounds, ones Naruto had covered up, had thought healed, years ago.

Kyuubi stepped up, closer to Naruto and got in his line of sight. "You're mad because he _left you alone."_

"Leave it!" Naruto bit out. "Let's find the bastard and get out of here."

"Oh, uh-huh," Kyuubi contradicted. "We're going to air this out _now. _I don't want you distracted if we have to fight something."

"The longer we stay in here, the better the chances of that happening are," Naruto reminded him.

"The sooner we find _your dad,_ the sooner you can go back to your life and not think about him, is that what you mean?" Kyuubi demanded.

"Fine, _fine," _Naruto shouted. "Let's have it! What do you got?"

Kyuubi shook his head. "It's not about me, it's about _you_, Naruto."

Naruto let a breath out through his teeth. "What. About. Me."

"Admit it," Kyuubi encouraged. "You're upset because your daddy died when you were a baby."

Naruto shook his head ferociously. "No, no—"

"But I'm close." It was a statement, not a question.

"It's none of your business!" Naruto snapped.

Kyuubi folded his arms. "Don't bullshit me. It's about your dad leaving you and it is my business because I'm stuck with you for the rest of your ridiculously short life."

"And whose fault is that?" Naruto questioned, seizing on the opportunity to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Huh? Who sealed you in me?"

The fox flinched and his eyes narrowed, but he said, "We'll get to that later. Don't try to change the subject, little kit. Spit it out. Why are you so mad at your father?"

Naruto shook his head and dodged past Kyuubi, sprinting in the direction the spell was leading him. If he could get out of the Shinigami's stomach, he could ignore Kyuubi, just refuse to go into his chamber.

"You're not getting away that easily," Kyuubi said, running alongside Naruto.

"What do you want from me?" Naruto cried. The old ache had returned. Naruto had thought Iruka-sensei banished it, but now it was back and stronger than ever. The ache was quickly turning into a sharp pain with Kyuubi's prodding and Naruto wanted to bury it.

"I want the truth from you, kit! Why do you think you're running?"

"Because I don't want to talk about it!" Naruto shot back.

"About what?"

Naruto stopped and faced Kyuubi. "You wanna know? Do you? _Fine! _I'll tell you."

"Finally," Kyuubi muttered.

"He _knew!_" Naruto shouted.

Kyuubi waited for him to expand, but he didn't. "Knew what, kit?"

"He knew what kind of life a _Jinchuuriki _would have," Naruto cried, his voice cracking. "He was a Hokage, not an ignorant Genin! He had to have known! But did it matter to him?"

"Kit, listen—"

"_Did it?"_ Naruto shouted. "Did he care?"

"Yes! He had to—"

"Oh, _really?_" Naruto cut him off. "Cause, see if I _knew _my kid was going to life a HELLISH life, I would do something, _anything _to make sure I was there to take care of him! I wouldn't leave him alone with the dying, stupid, naïve wish that he be treated as a hero in a village that was bound to hate him!"

Kyuubi was silent. Naruto dropped his head and wiped at the tears that were streaming down his face.

"But, hey," Naruto muttered. "What do I know about how a father should act? Never had a _real _one."

"Kit, I didn't mean—"

Naruto shook his head and started walking again. "I was always told that my parents died in the Kyuubi attack. Your attack."

Kyuubi closed his eyes as guilt swamped him. He'd have to explain that soon.

"I thought the Fourth Hokage wouldn't choose an orphan, someone who had nobody to protect him, to guide him, to love him, and put that burden on him. But secretly . . ."

Naruto stopped walking and his hands clenched. "Secretly, I always wondered," Here he took a deep breath. "I wondered if they hadn't died. If they just d-didn't . . . care."

"Naruto—"

The blond shook his head and his face scrunched up. More tears were coming and Naruto didn't want them to come out. "I wondered if I was ever wanted or loved by my parents. At all. If they just handed me over to the Fourth Hokage, if they didn't care what happened to me before or after you were sealed in me."

The tears were falling again and there was nothing he could do to stop them, any more than he could stop the raging pain in his heart. He gasped for breath, on his way to a major breakdown—the kind he hadn't had in years, since the time he entered the Academy.

"Now, I know they didn't."

"Listen to me, Naruto, that is just _not true!" _Kyuubi protested.

"No?" Naruto spun to him. "My dad made me a Jinchuuriki then died, leaving me alone. The gods said my mom was alive. _Alive! _But where was she when I was growing up?"

Kyuubi cast around for an answer, but Naruto barreled on before he could come up with a plausible explanation.

"Where was my mother when I needed her? She's _alive, _why wasn't she there for me?"

Kyuubi grabbed Naruto's face and forced the blond to look him in the eye. "Listen to me. Listen. To. Me. I know, _I know, _for a fact, that your parents loved you. They cherished you and looked forward to your birth. They loved you more than life itself. I'm sure that your father didn't mean to leave you alone. I don't know what happened to your mother, but I am certain that she did not abandon you."

"How do you know?" Naruto asked. There was doubt in his eyes and voice, but the tears were slowing.

Kyuubi sighed. "When Minato found out that your mother was pregnant, he dragged me out to the nearest bar and we spent the night toasting it. I had never seen him so happy. He would work on decorating the nursery for you, and send me letters and pictures of its progress every week. Your mom would contact him once a day with an update, since she was in the mountains and he was in Konoha. I don't know everything that happened, but I do know they loved you."

"R-really?"

The fox nodded firmly. He was convincing Naruto. "Yeah. Trust me. I wouldn't lie about this."

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut. He scrubbed at his face again and Kyuubi relaxed. "Okay. Now, we need to find him, get out of here, find your mom and figure out what happened, got it?"

Several deep breaths later, Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Now let go of me, ya dumb fox."

Kyuubi grinned. "Alright! The real, annoying, loudmouthed kit is back! At least we know this place isn't affecting you too bad, eh?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's get moving."

The two started running, guided by Naruto's spell. It was still leading him to the left. "So," he said after a while. "Are you ever gonna explain why you attacked Konoha? And why you aren't pissed at my dad anymore?"

The fox managed to keep a smile off his face at the mention of Naruto's dad. He'd actually been able to get through to the idiot. "You really think now is a good time?"

"Well, it's now, and I can explain everything myself when we get out of here, or we waste time with me going into my head and talking to you, then figuring everything out and explaining. Your choice."

Kyuubi sighed. He did have a point. Now that he remembered, he knew that Tsunade should know the truth—especially since it still posed a threat to Konoha and Naruto. The fools who'd come after him had made the eternal villains' mistake; trusting in their own victory, they had explained their plan to the captive. Well, Orochimaru had. Once Madara had seen what the snake was doing, he put a stop to it, unfortunately before Orochimaru had revealed the entirety of the plan, but he'd said enough to doom them both.

On the other hand, a story like that could—no, certainly would distract him. Kyuubi knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate on defending against anything. Naruto, well, the kit had an incredibly short attention span to begin with and this tale would be sure to get him off track.

"Look, I'll tell you later, okay, kit?"

"Does it have something to do with those chains that what's-her-name pulled off?" Naruto asked.

Kyuubi sighed again. "Yes. It has _everything _to do with those."

"Were those the reason you attacked?" he asked again.

"By the gods, kit, why do you have to start using your brain now?" Kyuubi demanded, exasperated. Honestly, of all the times Naruto could start asking smart questions, he would choose the most inopportune time. "Let's just say that without them, I would not have attacked Konoha and leave for now, okay?"

"Well, you made me explore my feelings," Naruto reminded him. "Why can't I return the favor?"

"Because unlike you, I can compartmentalize," Kyuubi shot back. "Are we still going the right way?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered, absently checking the spell. "What does 'compartmenize' mean?"

"First, it is com-part-ment-al-ize," Kyuubi enunciated. "Say it right. Also, it means that I can lock my emotions away and focus on the task at hand, something you at the moment are incapable of."

"Hey!" Naruto protested.

"Don't argue, it's true."

Naruto huffed, but shut up as they continued running. "Why do you think nothing came after us while we were fighting?"

"While you were having an emotional fit, you mean?" Naruto made a face at Kyuubi's choice of words. "I don't know, but I did sense some fighting going on near us, underground."

"Big Mama?" Naruto worried. He didn't feel the ground shaking. Wasn't that an indicator of Slimy or Big Mama coming?

Kyuubi shook his head. "No, I made sure to memorize her chakra signature. She's not coming after us now."

Naruto relaxed slightly, and the most evil entity residing in the realm burst through the ground, groping and grasping at him. He staggered back, the sudden change in momentum throwing him off balance.

In front of Kyuubi and Naruto, floating menacingly, was a pair of pale arms with tattoos on them. The fingers wiggled, somehow managing to be comedic and threatening at the same time. Naruto and Kyuubi stared in amazement and horror.

"So, that's Orochimaru," Kyuubi commented.

Naruto put his hands to his head. "Wait. I'm confused. Isn't Orochimaru's soul, like taking over Kabuto now or something?"

"Not exactly, but I can't explain now," Kyuubi hedged. The arms were drifting apart, with the intention of taking them on individually. "Look, Minato's on the other side of the arms, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "A little to the right, though."

"Okay, then, you stay behind me, I'll start to circle to the right," Kyuubi instructed. "When you have a clear shot, run, got it?"

"Got it!"

* * *

_Sasuke had been wandering around Naruto's mind for what felt like forever. He honestly hadn't expected it to be this complex, but he should have known better. Naruto may have been a fool, but he wasn't a simple one._

_He also should not have expected to land in the Kyuubi's chamber. Last time, Naruto and Kyuubi had been conversing, so it had been easy to find the fox. Now, though he had to go searching for it. _

_Finally, Sasuke turned a corner and found it. Just as Inoichi had said, the gates were open, but neither they nor the seal had been damaged. Sasuke ignored them and stepped up to the two strings leading up, into the darkness. One was blue, so he assumed that was Naruto's string, but he couldn't figure out why there was green running through it. The other was red. _

_That must be Kyuubi's._

* * *

Naruto and Kyuubi were slowly circling around, though Orochimaru's arms made it a hard job. Kyuubi was managing to battle both of them at once, a flash of arms and red chakra.

"Almost there, Kyuubi," Naruto encouraged.

* * *

_Sasuke reached out and slowly wound a finger around Kyuubi's string. It was vibrating, as if the fox was drawing on chakra. _

_Wondering if the strings were connected to the souls, Sasuke decided he wanted to talk to the Kyuubi. The fox would be able to give him better answers than stubborn, inobservant, emotional Naruto._

_Sasuke grasped the red string and gave it one strong, firm tug downward._

* * *

Kyuubi gasped, feeling a sudden hold on his chakra. He staggered, and the arms took advantage of that to knock him to the ground.

"No!" he snarled as the arms floated over them. "Screw the plan, kit, run!"

"Way ahead of you!" Naruto shouted, already on his way, following the spell. If he could just keep ahead of the arms, he might make it. Unfortunately, he was operating under the assumption that these arms would behave like normal arms—limbs that were stuck to a body.

Increasing their speed, the arms split up. One jabbed Naruto in the head, while the other grabbed his ankle. Naruto went down, and the hand around his ankle lifted him up.

"Hey! Put me down!"

The arm heaved Naruto across the plains of the Shinigami's stomach, then the pair of limbs split up again. One flew after Naruto, while the other went back to finish Kyuubi off.

Kyuubi roared. "Narutoooooooo!" The kit's body couldn't take any more abuse. One more bad landing and he'd be a pile of mush.

Naruto instinctively curled up as the wind rushed by his face. He felt Orochimaru's chakra coming up after him. He whipped out a kunai, preparing to do anything, slice, hack—heck he'd chop the arm up into little Orochimaru bits if he had to.

He was distracted, however, when a kunai flew in front of his nose and a hard body slammed into his.

* * *

Well, what do you think? I know the abandonment card has been used a lot, but it makes sense and he hasn't worked out all his feelings for his dad yet, obviously.

Also, Naruto's mom was named Meara in my other story, but I can have her called 'Kushina' in this one. No, I won't be changing the character or her background (which are both very important) if you all choose Kushina. You can tell me here or go to my profile and use my poll. (Use the poll! It's exciting to check!) If you tell me in a review, I'll just add it into the poll, so ONE or the OTHER, NOT BOTH!!

Okay, thank you all for reading!

* * *


	15. Chapter 11

Oh, I know. It's crazy how fast I've been updating, comparatively speaking. I'll try to keep up the pace, the next chapter's already started.

Thank you to all who reviewed! Last I checked we had 80+ reviews for chapter 11. You all are absolutely awesome. I'm editing "If Only" and taking out a lot, but I'll put it into a "Deleted Scenes" story so people can access it if they choose. I'll take any requests for one-shots from the story, and they don't have to include Naruto. If, say, you wanted to see Raidon's first day at the Academy, I'd put that in there too. Just let me know!

**Poll results: **Well, Kushina won, pretty handily. There were good arguments on both sides. Just remember, when I use Kushina that this is my version, aka Meara. She has naturally blond hair and uses a combination of Areah Broah and chakra in her jutsus. She's also a skilled medic-nin. This isn't the Kushina from the manga.

I will listen to anything you have to say, as long as you are polite about it. _Please, _point out things that don't make sense, or grammatical errors (ie: 'life a hellish life' in the last chapter), or even certain personal preferences. One reader mentioned the use of 'the clone' as being weird. That's okay. I am secure enough in my writing to handle some CC and advice. Just be polite and not insulting.

One more thing. Hawk Wing and I'm Not telling, if you two are able to resume being my betas, that would be awesome. If anyone else is interested, let me know via review or PM and I'll let you know if I need you. Thanks, all!

Chapter 11

_There was more fighting going on. _

_He could hear it in the distance, and feel it in the ground. It made him sick. Was it too much to ask for a little peace and quiet?_

_He should not want quiet, he knew. He should want noise. _

_All he wanted was rest. _

_He knew how angry she'd be with him for wanting to give up. She would yell and rage and throw pillows at him. _

_His heart ached. How he missed her. _

_The fighting was coming closer now, as were the two new ones. There was something familiar about them, but he couldn't remember it. They didn't matter anyway. _

_He wondered, if he gave up, would he miss her as much?_

"Narutoooooooo!"

_He snapped his head up. Naruto. There was a body flying across the sky, one with blond hair. Like his. One of the new ones. _

_Naruto._

_His son._

_Naruto._

Naruto.

Namikaze Minato whipped out one of his kunais and threw it at his son. He timed it perfectly so that the kunai's trajectory intersected Naruto's at a time when they would be within one foot of each other.

He waited, waited for the right time. Almost . . . now!

Minato activated the seal and for the first time in so many years, performed Hiraishin.

He felt a rush of joy as the chakra flowed through him. A smile flickered on his face and something in him lightened. He replaced the joy with determination, thinking of why he was doing this. The purpose in his life.

His son.

He had timed it perfectly, ending the jutsu within a foot of Naruto. He wrapped an arm around Naruto's waist—marveling at how large he was. Sarutobi had said Naruto was twelve. How long had it been since then? How old was he now?

Naruto 'oofed' as Minato's slammed into him. Instantly, he felt the man's other arm flex and throw something. Another instant later, they were on the ground. His ribs jerked painfully, but Minato put him down gently.

"Stay here," he ordered, looking into Naruto's blue eyes. "I'll take care of you."

Naruto gaped as Minato spun around. He whipped out a kunai and started a complicated parrying, dodging, attacking pattern with the arm that had followed him. The arm fell back after a couple of minutes of the dizzying dance. Naruto wasn't sure if the arm noticed, but Minato had stuck seal on it, on the wrist behind its hand, right where it couldn't pull it off. The hand realized it had been tagged and tried to twist around to get the seal off, but it couldn't reach the seal.

Meanwhile, Minato gathered a Rasengan in his hand. A second later, he activated the seal and the jutsu tore through the arm, reducing it to slivers of flesh and a lot of blood. Minato relaxed, the immediate threat to himself and his son dealt with.

He spun around and ran back to Naruto. There would be more things coming, and where was Orochimaru's other arm?

"Get up," he commanded. "We need to leave."

Minato tugged Naruto up, eyes alert and moving, feet sensitive to anything running through the ground. He started moving—any direction, it didn't matter. As long as they were always moving, they'd be safe. Nothing would hurt Naruto.

_Nothing._

"Wait, wait!" Naruto said, digging his heels in. "You're going the wrong way."

Minato shook his head, not looking at Naruto. Panic was starting to set in. "No right way, no wrong way. Just move, move. Always move!"

"This way is safe—"

"_No way is safe!" _Minato hissed. "No way! They'll find you unless you move! Move!"

Naruto stopped, refusing to move any more. Minato twisted and finally looked at Naruto. He was intending to get his point across, but lost his train of thought at the sight of his son. "So big," he murmured. "Big and strong. How old are you? How long? Where is she? Here, too? We have to find her! Find her! Save her!"

"No! No, look at me!" Naruto demanded. "Kyuubi's here!"

"Kyuubi?" Minato wondered. "Kyuubi-Hideharu? How? How? Last time I saw him . . ."

Minato trailed off and his eyes became vacant, distant. Naruto waited a moment for him to snap out of it, to start rambling again, but he didn't. Emotions flashed through his eyes, fear, anger, sadness, but Minato just kept staring. Naruto stepped forward and grabbed Minato's chin, forcing the man to look him in the eye and return to reality.

"Kyuubi is that way," Naruto enunciated, pointing in the direction he knew the fox was. "We need to save him."

Minato blinked. "From what?"

"Orochimaru's other arm," Naruto answered.

"Oh." Minato pulled out another kunai and prepared to throw it, but glanced at Naruto. "No, no. I can't leave you."

Naruto bit back a sarcastic, somewhat bitter reply and started running. "Come on, then."

* * *

Kyuubi writhed on the ground. He forced an arm up, stabbing the kunai he had into Orochimaru's arm. That was his last weapon and the arm looked like an extremely odd, floating porcupine.

"Why won't you die?" he demanded. "And what the hell is wrong with me?"

He started to pull himself in the direction that Naruto had gone. He wasn't sure what had happened to the kit, but if he couldn't get out, neither could Kyuubi. The blond was also the only connection to Minato.

Kyuubi rolled out of the way as the hand made another attack, but convulsed as whatever was wrong with him got worse.

* * *

_Sasuke glared at the strings. No matter how hard he tugged, nothing happened. He considered the strings again. _

_Maybe if he just tried suppressing Kyuubi's chakra in the strand, the fox would be forced to return. Sasuke reached out and wrapped the string around his hand, pushing at it the same way he had months ago in Orochimaru's lair. _

_Kyuubi had mentioned Uchiha Madara then, too. _

_Sasuke paused, thinking on it. He'd found out the truth during his fight with Itachi. Madara had founded Konoha, with the First Hokage, then gone on to found Akatsuki and hide behind it. He'd somehow survived far beyond his natural lifespan, manipulating the organization and through it, many political events in the world. _

_Of course, he had no idea what had happened after the fight with Itachi. Sasuke thought he'd finally beaten his brother and passed out. But according to information he'd gleaned since waking up in Konoha, he had been found alone and nearly dead in the Uchiha base, Itachi nowhere to be found._

_Sasuke pushed all those thoughts aside. He could find out the truth when he left the Village. He pushed on the chakra, forcing it down._

* * *

Kyuubi gasped and collapsed. All his strength had gone out from him. Orochimaru's arm, nearly dead, was stronger than he was at the moment and taking advantage of it. It was raised above him, poised for the killing blow. Kyuubi struggled to move, but he could barely find the energy to breath.

"Oh, no," he groaned. "No way. This is not happening! Not again!"

Orochimaru's arm floated above him, then started to come down for the final blow, but a hail of shuriken flashed between it and the prone form on the ground. The flurry of weapons was followed by a single, yellow-sealed kunai, which was followed by a tall blond man in a white cloak.

"Minato!" Kyuubi shouted, quite startled.

Minato grabbed one of the kunais in the arm and dragged it the length of the appendage, slicing it open. The arm flailed in the air for a minute, but quickly fell to the ground, flopping like a fish out of water.

"Kyuubi!" Naruto called. "Have you figured out what's wrong with you yet?"

The fox shook his head and glanced between the two nearly-identical blonds. "You found him!"

"Actually, he found me," Naruto corrected. He scrambled up to Kyuubi's side. "Can you get up? We can finally get out of here!"

Kyuubi shook his head again. "No, as much as I hate it, I'll need your help."

Naruto tried to drag Kyuubi to his feet, but he had broken ribs and the redhead was a large, fully grown man, well in the body of one. He needed help. "Hey, hey!" he called to Minato.

"We need to move!" he cried. "They're coming. Up! Up! We need—we—ah . . ."

The Hokage trailed off as his eyes landed on Kyuubi's hunched over form. Naruto was still shouting at him, using anything from 'Yondaime' to 'Blondie' to get his attention, but Minato was unresponsive again.

"Try calling him 'Dad,'" Kyuubi suggested. "We can't get going until he snaps out of it and nothing seems to be working. I'd rather not have him impaled by something."

Naruto frowned slightly. "Let me try something else first." He flipped a rock up with his foot, caught it with his hand and chucked it at the dazed Hokage. Minato instinctively snatched it out of the air, tensing. Kyuubi rolled his eyes and muttered darkly about Naruto's brilliant decision making and utter emotion repression.

"We need to get going," Naruto shouted at the Hokage. "Before something finds us, remember?"

Minato nodded, his head bobbing up and down frantically. Naruto kept talking. "I need your help," he said. "Kyuubi needs your help."

"Help?" Minato questioned. He got the idea in a minute and rushed forward, throwing Kyuubi's other arm over his shoulders. He started to lead them off to the left, but Naruto stopped him.

"No, no, we need to go this way!" He pulled the other two along the right path, toward the exit point.

Minato was confused. "Why? What? Why this way? This way could be wrong!"

Naruto shook his head. "No, trust me, it's not. We can get out."

"Out?" the elder blond wondered. "Out of where? Out of danger? No, no, no, we're always in danger here. Always. No escaping. Always and forever."

* * *

_Sasuke frowned at the two strings. Repressing the chakra didn't work either. He stepped back from the problem and felt a sudden pain on his chin. Sasuke reached up to rub it, but—_

Then he was staring into the enraged face of the Hokage and he didn't have time to adjust and put her under a genjutsu before her fist smashed into his face again.

_She must have seen through Ino's 'coma.'_

The Hokage pressed two fingers to a pressure point on his neck before he had recovered from the mental trip and the punch. Sasuke had just enough time to swear before he blacked out.

* * *

Kyuubi's heart sank as Minato continued to ramble. Clearly, the man hadn't lost his humanity so much as his mind. Such could be the problem with struggling eternally; Kyuubi had seen it before. He seemed only to be sane when dealing with Naruto, which did not bode well. The kit didn't like to be pressured and Minato's mental health was dependent almost entirely on him at the moment. Then there was the issue with Madara, and if Orochimaru could somehow resurrect himself through his chakra in either Kabuto or Sasuke, and Akatsuki's continued threat, how the elders would react to Minato's return, and how the village would react to Naruto's heritage, and where the rest of Naruto's family had been all these years.

Kyuubi's head started to hurt, and it wasn't just from his complete lack of energy and chakra. This was going to be an extremely difficult time for every one, and he wasn't sure what was going to happen with the other three Hokages. The trio stumbled across the plains of the Shinigami's stomach, moving as quickly as they could with Kyuubi's dead weight.

"Oh, no," Minato breathed. "Oh, no. We're in trouble. Big trouble! Double—no, triple trouble! Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!"

Naruto shot a glance to his father. What the _hell _was the man going on about now? "Hey, what kind of trouble?"

"All kinds!" Minato muttered. "We're all going to die!"

"Don't be pessimistic," Naruto ordered. "Okay. What, exactly is after us?"

Minato scrunched up his face. "Well, everything! You mean at this moment?"

". . . yes. What is going on right now?" Naruto asked.

"Bugs," Minato answered decisively.

Naruto waited for him to elaborate, but the man didn't, just let his eyes skitter over the ground.

"What kind of bugs, Minato?" Kyuubi asked.

"Biting ones," he replied. "Crawl all over you, biting your skin. Ugh. I hate bugs. Nasty. They taste bad, too. Very crunchy. Hard on the teeth."

"How big are these . . . bugs?" Kyuubi wondered.

Minato suddenly froze and looked over his shoulder, eyes wide. "That big! Run!"

Naruto and Kyuubi followed Minato's gaze and saw several dog-sized beetles scampering across the ground after them. Minato was in the process of transferring Kyuubi entirely to Naruto, insisting that they run, run, run.

"I will hold them off," Minato said. "You two just get going."

"We're not leaving without you," Kyuubi said, staring at the 'bugs' coming after them.

"I'll catch up, but neither of you can fight properly! This won't take a moment, just go!" Minato ordered.

Naruto nodded and started to drag Kyuubi, who was starting to get some strength back. Minato faced the approaching beetles and his face hardened.

Nothing was hurting Naruto.

A fireball exploded behind Naruto and Kyuubi. _Holy crap! That's the biggest fire jutsu I've ever seen! _

"Keep going!" Minato shouted over his shoulder. "There are more coming!"

"Just throw up a wall to keep them back and get over here, idiot!" Kyuubi roared.

Minato scowled at him. "What? You think this is earth? I can't use earth jutsus here, any more than I can use water or wind!"

"Why is that?" Naruto asked.

"I'll explain later," Kyuubi answered. He was starting to stumble along. Whatever had a hold on him was weakening. He wished it would just give up. And preferably die in the process.

Naruto scowled at Kyuubi, the same as Minato. "You have a lot of explaining to do," he grunted. "When we get out of here."

Minato had apparently decided that the beetles were being held at bay enough for the moment, and ran back to join the other two. "Okay, do either of you have a plan?"

"Yeah, get up that hill and get out," Naruto answered, pointing.

"Okay, then, both of you grab onto me," Minato said, reaching for another kunai. "I'm not the fastest man in history for nothing."

* * *

"So, you have met Naruto," Sarutobi said. The two Hokages were standing to one side of the chamber, while Kagami raged and stormed around the two Narutos, promising to arrange all kinds of interesting, painful deaths for them and the original. It was very fascinating. The other gods seemed rather bored by it, but Sarutobi was quite worried that she would really hurt Naruto when he came out. She hadn't hurt his clones in any way because they'd disappear and the original Naruto would be warned of her wrath. No having that.

The First Hokage nodded. "He is an interesting boy. He told me he stole the Hokage's scroll and learned a forbidden jutsu when he was in the Academy."

Sarutobi nodded. "Hm-mm. The stunt earned him his hitae-ate."

"I'm just wondering," he said. "The Hokage's library is still in the Hokage's manor, right?"

Sarutobi nodded again, wincing as she came within an inch of Naruto's clone's face. The clone itself flinched and grimaced. "Yes, why do you ask, sensei?"

"You don't have to call me that," the other chuckled. "Heck, you probably know more than me now."

"I doubt that," Sarutobi said. "Although I am certainly older than you."

"Yes, well, you also certainly look it," the First teased. "Now, I can't help but question how an admittedly loud twelve year old got past you, Saru. Any response?"

Sarutobi's cheeks tinged pink for an instant. "When he comes out, ask him to show you his 'Sexy Jutsu.' You'll see how he got past me."

* * *

Ta-da! There you go! We finally meet him! A thousand yays! I know, he's pretty unbalanced, but he had to be. Nobody could come out of that after sixteen years and be normal. A bunch of you guessed right in your reviews. He did save Naruto!

Some things to notice: 1) Minato assumed that Kushina would be with Naruto. 2) Kyuubi said "Not again!" when Orochimaru's arm was about to kill him.

What do these mean? I don't know! (Well, I do) But you tell me! Give me guesses.

I know Sasuke may seem somewhat weak, but I'm guessing that switching from the mindscape to reality would disorient anyone, enough for a Sannin and Hokage to get a blow in. Plus, remember he's still 'healing.' As for how it ties in with the manga--**spoiler **assume that Konoha ninjas found him sprawled on the ground, but Itachi gone. Sasuke assumes that means Itachi could still be alive and is therefore still searching for more power.

Finally, if you read the manga and don't base yourself entirely off the anime, in the first chapter, Naruto is trying to steal the Scroll of Sealing, but Sarutobi catches him. Naruto performs his sexy jutsu and Sarutobi passes out on the ground with a nosebleed. That's what the last comment was.


	16. Chapter 12

Hallo! FYI: I fixed something in a previous chapter: When the First uses his wood jutsus, the jutsu comes from his body, not the ground. That had to be fixed.

That's all I think. I'll try to keep up the pace, but I can't make any promises.

I love you all!

Chapter 12 

"Well, sir, the good news is that your vitals are still improving," the nurse chirped.

_Ah, if only I could open my eyes, my precious one! I bet you're beautiful and succulent!_

"Unfortunately, the nerves in the end of your left arm have been permanently damaged. I know you don't want to hear this, but unless you wake up soon, the nerves will continue to degenerate until we can't do anything to help you."

_Eh, what happened to my left arm? I bet the Akatsuki leader did something to it, when we had our fight. Damn, when am I going to remember that?_

"You know, Tsunade-sama could re-attach another arm, but we need you to tell if your chakra is compatible with the new appendage. If you don't soon, well, like I said."

_. . . I lost my arm? I lost my arm? _

_What?_

"Besides, Jiraya-sama," the nurse continued softly. "I work with Tsunade-sama a lot. You've always been there for her when she needs it, and right now, she needs it."

_Tsunade . . ._

"Please wake up soon."

* * *

Tsunade dragged Uchiha Sasuke through the halls of the hospital, pretending not to notice that his head bounced off the ground with every step she took. Nurses, doctors and patients scurried out of the way as she stormed by them. She knew that word of Uchiha's treatment would reach the council in a matter of minutes, and that Koharu and Homura would be down not long after.

She smiled fiendishly, looking forward to the encounter. There had been two nurses and an ANBU with her when she'd found Sasuke tampering with Naruto's head. She also now had an idea as to why both Naruto and Ino had fallen into inexplicable comas.

If she could prove that Uchiha Sasuke had been involved in the incapacitation of two of Konoha's ninjas, one of them being from a prominent clan, it would all but silence the people fighting for him. Tsunade hated to admit it, but she was almost grateful that Sasuke had attacked Ino as well. If it was just Naruto, few would have cared.

But if someone insinuated that Yamanaka Inoichi's little girl was worth less than a traitor and missing-nin, there would be hell to pay, not just from him. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio would fight together, old and new generations.

Finally, Tsunade arrived at the secure wing of the hospital, where injured prisoners were kept until they were well enough to be transferred to holding cells. The ANBU were already standing at attention when she strode in, but the tension in the air ratcheted up a notch when they noticed Sasuke's limp form behind her.

"Uchiha Sasuke was found assaulting a Konoha ninja," she stated. "I want him tied up and under constant guard. Three ANBU in the room, two by each door and window, and ten more within a five-meter radius of him. Bind his chakra, keep him heavily sedated, and clear all civilians out of a ten-meter radius. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" they shouted. Two stepped forward and grabbed Sasuke's arms, dragging him into the room.

Tsunade turned around. "I'll be bringing Hatake Kakashi in as well, to give recommendations, oversee the operation and fight Uchiha if necessary."

She stalked out of the room, leaving the ANBU hurrying about, and called Shizune.

* * *

"There's no place like home!"

Minato raised an eyebrow and shot a questioning look at Kyuubi. "That's nice, son—"

Naruto fought to keep from flinching.

"—but how is it going to help us?"

His question was answered when the ground started to shake, then lower in a circle around Kyuubi and Naruto. "You might want to hold onto me and the kit, Minato."

"Why?"

"Just do it," Kyuubi snapped. Minato tensed and flinched, like Kyuubi had just hit him. ". . . please."

Minato reluctantly shuffled over so that he was in between Naruto and Kyuubi. They both grabbed one of his arms as the ground stopped moving. "What's going on?" Minato wondered.

Naruto shrugged. "I have no ide—aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

* * *

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Naruto, Kyuubi and Minato tumbled out of the Shinigami's mouth and hit the floor of the meeting chamber hard. They all instinctively tried to roll to absorb the impact, but ended up in a tangled mess because they were so close together.

Minato pulled himself out the quickest and rolled to a crouching position, kunai out and ready for battle. His eyes watered at the unexpected light—he had seen nothing but the murky twilight of the Realm for far too long. He flexed his hand on the kunai, looking around as his eyes burned. He couldn't see, but 

he'd been eyeless in the Realm before. One of the things, a mutated bird of some kind, liked to eat people's eyes. Those were the worst to grow back.

He wasn't sensing any danger. Usually, he knew when something was coming and could run or prepare to fight. Now, however, he felt nothing coming after him. There was much danger in the air, but nothing after him. Minato allowed himself to stand, very slowly. He still couldn't see much-just a lot of yellow and white.

Yellow.

He felt like there was something he needed to remember. Something important. It had been pushed out of his head by the danger and the shift in scene, but it was coming now.

Minato fought back a shudder as the void neared him. He instinctively reached for his shield, his defense, and the important thing came back to him.

"Naruto!"

The younger blond snapped his head up at the sound of his name. "What?"

The Hokage spun around and stepped closer to his son. Something was threatening him, something terrible. The void—the cold was coming near him! Minato clutched at Naruto's arm, pulling him close to his body for protection. Naruto hissed—his body was still sore.

"What's the matter with you?" he snarled.

Dread suddenly slammed into Naruto and a sheen of sweat coated his brow, but before he could even register the sudden danger he was in, there was a strong presence between him and the threat.

Sarutobi chuckled as the three figures tumbled on the floor. He expected Naruto to be that clumsy, but not Minato and certainly not Kyuubi. Sarutobi started to move forward and greet him, but Kagami flew forward, still huge and intimidating and targeted Naruto. The Shodai jumped forward, but both he and Sarutobi were too far away. They'd never make it in time to save Naruto.

They didn't have to, though, as Minato leaped to his feet and drew Naruto against him. He stepped securely in front of the Shinigami, bringing his hands up into a defensive position. His face hardened and his eyes turned to chips of eyes, glaring fiercely at the gigantic being. She stopped inches from his face. His hands trembled, but he refused to move.

Naruto stared up at the Shinigami and scuttled back. The Shinigami was hovering over Minato, the knife in her hands raised up, as if she would use it to slice him in half. He shuddered and struggled to breathe under the weight of her fury, but Minato stood firm between them.

A moment later, she was back in her female form. Her hair and dress swirled about her as she spun around and paced back, then returned to Minato.

"What would you do against me, human?" she hissed, her chin coming up and eyes flashing. "If I wanted him, what could you do?"

"Nothing—nothing hurts him," Minato replied. "Nothing!"

Kagami laughed and the hairs on Naruto's arms stood up. "I could rip your soul into shreds! Make it so you never existed! The things I could—"

"That is enough," Samuru said, interrupting her tirade. Kagami paced away, alternating between glaring at Naruto and hissing at Minato. "Naruto, if you could please explain what is the meaning of this." His hand swept the room, indicating his clones and the three Hokages.

Naruto gulped and scrambled to his feet. "Well, I found out that the Old Man and the other two Hokages were in there and it wasn't fair—"

"It's not up to you to decide if something is fair or not!" Minowa shouted. His voice shook the pillars of the chamber. "After all, you are only a _human."_

Anger shot through Naruto at the god's condescending tone. "Yeah well, this human pulled a number on you gods, huh?"

"Smart, kit, smart," Kyuubi muttered as the beings stirred angrily. "You're on your own here."

"We may not all be cruel, but we are proud," Amarante said, her eyes narrowed. "Speak carefully."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably as Minato stepped closer to him protectively. "Anyway, I thought about the rules and the only one you laid down was that I couldn't go back in once I'd come out. You also made it clear I could still use all my jutsus in there!"

Samuru scratched his chin and considered Naruto's argument. Kagami was staring at him, her eyes piercing and sharp. The other gods started murmuring among themselves, talking about him. Kagami's lips began to twitch, and a smile broke out on her face. A moment later, she threw her head back and laughed uproariously.

Naruto jumped and stared at her as she convulsed with laughter, holding her stomach and doubling over. He turned to look at Kyuubi who just rolled his eyes and made a swirling motion by his temple as if to say 'She's mad.'

"Oh! How clever! Clever, clever little human," she laughed, gliding over to him in an instant. "He speaks the truth! Oh, little human found a way around our rules!"

Kagami laughed again, running a finger down Naruto's cheek. She searched his face, then grinned. "I wonder what else you'll use that cute cleverness for, little human? I think I'll keep an eye on you. You're . . . funny."

With that she flounced away, laughing happily again. For one moment, she appeared in front of him, snarling fantastically. "But if you _ever _trick me again, I'll inflict the most painful death upon your mortal body and then keep your immortal soul as my pet! Clear?"

Naruto swallowed and nodded. Kagami smiled satisfactorily and spun away, saying something about returning to her job.

The silence was almost eerie after the commotion Kagami had caused. Naruto looked around, confused and wondering what had just happened. Samuru saw and chuckled. "She is like that, capricious, flighty, and utterly unpredictable."

"Wait!" the First Hokage said. "My brother is still in there!"

Naruto nodded frantically. "Yeah! I sent a clone after him! What if they don't get out—"

The Shinigami reappeared for an instant in the doorway, dragging one of Naruto's clones and the second Hokage by the back of the collars. She threw them into the room and spun around, disappearing presumably for good this time. Everyone stared as the two stood and wiped themselves off. They were covered in blue slime.

"What the hell happened to you?" the First said, stepping forward and helping his brother up.

The second coughed a couple of times and spit out some feathers. He shook his head, "You really don't want to know."

Naruto's clones dissipated and he got glassy-eyed for a moment, absorbing their memories. His eyes widened. _"What the hell!"_

"Okay, now I've gotta know," Kyuubi demanded. "What happened?"

The Nidaime shared a look with Naruto. "I don't think I can honestly describe it."

Naruto shook his head. "No. Me neither. What now?"

Kyuubi gave up trying to pry information out of Naruto; he'd just riffle through his memories when they were back in the same body. He turned to Samuru, who had been watching the scene with amusement. "Yes, Great One, what now?"

The god stood and scratched the back of his head. "Well, originally, Naruto, you and Kyuubi would be returned to your body, while Minato's body was restored and his soul put into it."

"What happened to my body?" Minato wondered. He'd been surprisingly quiet during the whole ordeal. Several times, he had tried to move in between Naruto and Kagami, but the former had pushed him back and faced the god himself. "What happened to everything after I died? Kushina? Is she alive?"

Samuru nodded. "Yes, she is alive. You'll have to find her."

"Your body was burned," Sarutobi answered. "You were considered the greatest hero of the attack."

Minato frowned and rubbed at his head. "But—but Naruto—he was—"

"Things didn't go exactly as planned, _Dad,_" Naruto snapped, folding his arms and glaring at the Hokage.

The blond brought his other hand to his head and clutched at his hand. Naruto sounded angry. He had said 'Dad,' but he sounded so bitter. Had the void affected him? No, it couldn't! But the void would have made him cold and hard, not angry. Why was he angry? Angry with him? Why? Didn't Kushina tell him? Didn't she tell how much he loved Naruto? She was alive, didn't he know? What didn't go as planned? What?

"That's enough," Kyuubi said, pulling Minato out of his downward spiral. "We'll sort everything out later. Since Naruto screwed up your plans, what are you going to do?"

Samuru looked among the four Hokages standing in front of him. "Do all of you want to return to life?"

Minato blinked a couple of times, apparently confused by the question. "Return to life?"

"Yes, you would be restored to life, given a second chance to live," Samuru explained. "Get to know your son, find your wife."

"Kushina? Naruto?" Minato asked. His eyes lit up and some of the madness in them receded. "Really?"

Samuru nodded and smiled. "Yes. You would have your family again. Would you like to go back?"

Minato smiled and nodded. "Back. Back home. Kushina, Naruto. Home."

"And what of the rest of you?" Samuru asked, turning to the first three Hokages. "What would you like to do?"

Sarutobi chuckled and scratched his chin. "Well, I would only like to go back if I can be returned to my younger body."

"Careful, Saru," the second warned. "He might put you back into a child's body if you're not specific."

He laughed again, and Naruto realized just how much he'd missed the old coot. Sarutobi shook his gray head and said, "No, that was just a joke. In truth, I don't think I'll be going back."

"What?" Naruto cried. "But—but I wan—I mean _Konohamaru _misses you."

Sarutobi stepped up to Naruto, barely reaching his collarbone, and grabbed his chin. "I am an old man, Naruto. I have lived my life—my time on earth ended. 'Konohamaru' has many people there for him. He will be fine. Besides, I miss my wife, and oldest son. It has been far too long since I've seen them."

Naruto hung his head, feeling tears burn the back of his eyes and his throat. He had subconsciously assumed that Sarutobi would return to life and be there for him—argue, yell, and guide him. If he ever needed the Old Man, it was now, Naruto thought, casting a glance at his dazed father. Still, if there was 

one person as stubborn as he was, it was Sarutobi. There would be no changing his mind. "Anything you want me to say to Konohamaru?"

"Just tell him that I know what kind of ninja he's become, and I'm proud of him," Sarutobi said after a moment's consideration.

Naruto frowned. "But you don't!"

"That is why sometimes," the Old Man said in his Wise Sage voice, "it is better to lie."

"Whatever, you crazy old coot," Naruto replied, putting his hands behind his head and staring to the side. Sarutobi laughed, and the Chuunin took one last chance to commit the sound to memory. He grinned at Sarutobi and the Hokage stepped back, turning to the other two.

"What about you two?" he asked the First and Second.

The Shodai smiled gently. "We are relics from an outdated time," he said. "Like Sarutobi, it is time for us to move on."

"Yeah," the Second agreed. "Besides, who'd want to go back to that boring old world anyway? We've got bigger and better things to get to!" He grinned and threw an arm around the shoulders of his brother, who just rolled his eyes in a long-suffering manner.

"So, none of you except Minato are coming back?" Kyuubi asked. All three nodded. Kyuubi frowned and directed his question to the First Hokage. "Just one thing: how did you defeat Uchiha Madara?"

The First's eyes went sad and solemn. "In truth, I didn't. We were both severely injured at the end of our fight. Out of respect for our former friendship, he agreed to leave and start his own Village. He decided it should be him because the pollen count was too high in Konoha, bothered his nose."

The Shodai smiled sadly, lost in thought and memory. Samuru intervened and opened a door behind the three dead Hokages. The Second went first, grinning happily, clearly excited at the prospect of 'bigger and better things.' Next exited the First, who bowed low to Naruto and Kyuubi and marched through the door. Sarutobi was last, turning just before the threshold to observe the three he was leaving.

Naruto stood with his arms folded, a grin on his face. Sarutobi knew it was to cover his pain, and wished he wasn't the one causing it, but in truth, it would hurt the boy more if he came back to life, then died again. Kyuubi was stewing about something, probably the total unhelpfulness of the First's answer. Just behind and to the left of him was Minato, who was staring at the door and squinting, as if the light hurt his eyes.

"Your path is unbeaten, you three. And it will be all uphill." He chuckled at the confused faces. It was good to be old. If he said things like that, people assumed it was wisdom learned from time, not something pulled out of his ass. _Just remember that you are stronger together than separate._

He turned, confident that they would make it, and stepped into the light.

* * *

--

* * *

Yeah, I know. I would have absolutely loved to write about all four Hokages coming back to life. But that would have complicated the plot and drawn the importance away from Minato's return, which was the point of this story. I might write a story about them after this is over, but for now, they're gone. You guys could have guessed from the fact that I didn't give the First a name.

I have no clue what happened to the Second. I just thought it would be funny for him to spit out feathers.

Hoo boy. We're almost back to the real world! Keep going!

Sarutobi's comment is from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Giles sings it.


	17. Chapter 13

Wow. New chapter. I'm managing to keep up! yay! I'm sure you all appreciate it.

Explanations will come next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 13

"Believe me, I wish I could let you three at him," Tsunade said to the three fuming Chuunin across from her desk. "It wouldn't be more than he deserves, if I'm right. But we need to proceed carefully. If there's one thing wrong, the people fighting for him will seize on it and get any charges rescinded."

Shikamaru sighed. He'd known this, but Sakura and Chouji had dragged him into the Hokage's office when news of Ino's attack had reached them. They must have thought he could talk Tsunade into . . . something. Probably letting them into Sasuke's room. Beside him, the two shifted angrily—they clearly wanted to get their hands on the Uchiha survivor.

To be perfectly honest, Shikamaru wanted the same thing. Asuma's death and the following events had brought out a vengeful streak in him. He rarely acted on it—rarely was it worth the effort—but he often planned out complicated and painful deaths for people. For Ino and Naruto, though, he figured he could put out the effort to pull Sasuke's eyes out and hang him by his nostrils from the Hokage monument, or something equally painful. But he understood the Hokage's position.

"Has he said anything since you found him?" Sakura demanded. "Like how to get Naruto and Ino out of their comas?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I knocked him out when I found him in Naruto's room. He's been on medication since then so he can't use his Sharingan to escape."

"Can we find out what's wrong without him?" Chouji asked.

"I have a genjutsu expert looking Ino right now," Tsunade answered. "She couldn't find anything wrong with Naruto, but I'm hoping that she can find something since Ino was just attacked a few hours ago."

Sakura and Chouji frowned; they hadn't known of any genjutsu experts in Konoha. Shikamaru also frowned, but he knew who Tsunade was talking about.

"She had better not be stressing herself," Shikamaru said, giving Tsunade a half-hearted glare. "You know how delicate her position is."

Tsunade smiled at Shikamaru. "It looks like that child will have a very protective godfather." Shikamaru blushed and rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. Kurenai knows her limits, and she won't do anything to endanger the baby."

* * *

Yuhi Kurenai grimaced as she leaned over Ino's prone form.

"I thought motion sickness was only supposed to last through the first trimester," she muttered, placing a hand on her slightly swollen stomach. "Not even born and you enjoy tormenting me."

The nurse in the room perked up at Kurenai's comments. "We have medicine for that if you'd like, ma'am."

"No, thank you," Kurenai said. "I understand it's not a good idea to take it past your third month."

With that, she turned back to Ino. The girl was obviously under a specialized genjutsu. A normal genjutsu would temporarily commandeer the victim's chakra system, reshaping it so that the person would be trapped in a full sensory illusion. They would see, hear, feel, smell and taste whatever the genjutsu dictated. It was manipulation of the chakra, nothing more.

But this genjutsu was more than that. It had another, far more dangerous level. It involved a little bit of chakra manipulation, but for the most part, Ino's chakra pathways had been completely bypassed in favor of directly tampering with the mind. When she inspected Ino's chakra, she found traces of familiar energy—almost exactly like the time she'd fought Itachi.

Kurenai stood up, rubbing at her lower back. If it hurt this much in the fourth month, she wouldn't be able to move by the ninth. This coma was definitely the work of the Sharingan, but that was the only thing she knew—Kakashi would be of more use at this point.

She put her hands on her hips, thinking hard on Naruto. She had recognized the signature of the Sharingan genjutsu instantly on Ino. If Sasuke had done the same thing to Naruto, she would have seen a similar pattern in his chakra, but there was nothing in his system that was the same. Everything indicated Naruto's condition had nothing to do with Sharingan.

Kurenai sighed and decided to go check Naruto again. Tsunade wouldn't be happy if she was told the only possible explanation she'd come up with in over a month was debunked. She stepped out of Ino's room and closed the door quietly, as if noise would awaken the girl. The Jounin wished it would; she would ask Iruka to feed his Academy class sugar pills and bring them in.

Naruto's door was opened just as quietly, and Kurenai took a moment to just take in the silent, unmoving form of Uzumaki Naruto. She had visited him every once in a while, mostly when Hinata had been too scared too stop in alone. Even though Hinata was very quiet, she wasn't silent. It was a rare opportunity to see the blond quiet and still, but she had seen enough and to be honest, the sight was getting a little creepy.

She leaned forward and inspected his chakra as best she could. A Hyuuga would be better for this, but Kurenai knew what she was looking for. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her chakra, which felt different from the baby. She still couldn't get used to that.

Last time she'd checked Naruto, his chakra pathways had been normal, but inactive. They functioned like his muscles. Most of them needing to be consciously activated to be in use, and nurses had periodically been coming in to stimulate them so they wouldn't atrophy, again just like his muscles. One month ago, they had shown no problems and no evidence of tampering. He simply hadn't used them in a while.

She shook her hair out of her face and placed her hands on his chest, near the chakra center. One deep breath later, Kurenai's eyes snapped open and she rushed to the door. "Nurse! Get the Hokage now!"

She turned around and checked Naruto again. She had to make sure of what she'd found, but three inspections later, her findings were still true.

Naruto's chakra was starting to flow again.

Kurenai stepped back and lowered herself into a nearby chair. Naruto's voluntary chakra pathways were stirring to life. It took a conscious mind, something Naruto had shown no signs of, to do that. This was good, good news. As the saying went, any news is good news. Finally, something had changed in him.

Moments later, Tsunade burst into the room, followed almost immediately by Sakura and Chouji. Shikamaru wandered in a few seconds later and leaned against the wall.

"Well?" the Hokage demanded.

"Inspect his chakra," Kurenai advised. "You'll see."

Tsunade stepped up to Naruto's form and placed her hands on his chest. No one commented on how they shook. She took a deep breath, but gasped not a moment later.

"Shishou?" Sakura asked, seeing the look on her sensei's face. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, no, actually I think something is finally right. Shikamaru, get Kakashi and Yamato. Tell them to come quickly. Naruto may be waking up."

* * *

Hatake Kakashi was considered a genius by many. Most of the world, in fact, was terrified of the mind of the copy ninja. Nearly the same amount thought it was just because of the implanted Sharingan. Kakashi figured that he could have been at almost the same level with the Sharingan as without it. Of course there were some things that simply could not be duplicated, but the level of his jutsus would be the same. He probably would have invented even more instead of relying on the Sharingan to give him jutsus.

But still, he was a genius. One of the many things he prided himself on was reading intentions. He was wandering the streets of Konoha, reading his beloved new green book. Naruto had given it to him and people were just starting to recognize him again.

He had sensed the ANBU following him and ditched him upon figuring out what he wanted. Somebody else was after him now, but instead of trailing him, this person had planted himself on Kakashi's most likely path and was waiting for the Jounin to come to him.

"Well, Shikamaru?" he asked, passing the lounging Chuunin. "What's going on now?"

"Something about Naruto. Tsunade ordered me to find you and Yamato," he replied, pushing himself off the wall and sauntering next to Kakashi.

"Did you find Yamato?" Kakashi wondered. They turned down a street in the direction of the hospital, Kakashi's nose still buried in his book.

Shikamaru sighed heavily. "Yeah, when I mentioned the subject, he ran off in the direction of the hospital."

"Mmm. If it was that urgent, Tsunade would have sent someone with more . . ."

"Enthusiasm?"

"Yeah. That."

The hospital room that had become Naruto's home was filled with people: Tsunade, Sakura, Yamato, Sai (no one was quite sure who had told him. He just showed up), Chouji, and Kurenai were all standing or sitting around the prostrate blond. Kakashi's eye swept them all and settled on Naruto's heart rate monitor.

"So, he's showing signs of recovering?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, the way his vitals and chakra have been improving, he very well could wake up any minute."

"Right." Kakashi pulled up his Sharingan and looked over the blond. His eye widened in amazement. He had been in to visit Naruto just earlier that day—how could this be the same Naruto from a few hours ago?

"Do you really expect him to wake up any minute now?" Shikamaru asked, closing his eyes.

Tsunade sighed and folded her arms. "I honestly have no idea when he'll wake up. It could be in a minute, an hour or a day. This case has been so unpredictable, I wouldn't be surprised by anything."

"It wasn't caused by Sasuke, either," Kurenai revealed. "Ino's coma was a result of the Sharingan, but Naruto's isn't."

"Let me guess," Kakashi said. "You want me to take a look at her soon, since you've got Sasuke doped up and can't get anything from him."

Tsunade nodded and rubbed at her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"_Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"_

The previously unmoving blond lying in the bed suddenly thrashed about and started howling. All eight people jumped a solid foot into the air and stared, wide-eyed. Naruto had been so . . . so serene and restful for so long, no one could quite comprehend his sudden return to consciousness. As abruptly as the convulsions had started, they stopped and Naruto was left sitting up, panting and clutching at the sheets.

"NO!" he cried, looking around at them. "Where—where is he?"

"Naruto?" Tsunade wondered. She stepped closer and tentatively reached a hand out. It was shaking and her eyes were incredibly wide as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Naruto started and turned to her.

"Where is he? Where are they?" Naruto demanded. He jumped out of the bed and almost instantly collapsed on the ground. Tsunade caught one arm and Sai grabbed the other.

"Welcome back, Naruto!" the artist said, offering him a smile.

Naruto stared at Tsunade and Sai, then demanded once more, "Where is he? I did _not _go through all of that crap to bring him back only to have him not _be here!"_

"Naruto," Sakura started, stepping forward. "Sasuke attacked you and Ino. He's being held in—"

"You think I'm talking about Sasuke?!" Naruto shouted. "I don't care about him!"

And then the Naruto world ended.

Actually, everyone in the room stared in abject horror at Naruto, who looked around at all of them. "Why won't anyone answer me? Where is he?"

"Would you mind telling us who you are looking for, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"The Fourth Hokage!"

At that moment, everyone in the room had the same thought. _Damn! He's nuts. _

"Naruto," Sakura said slowly. "The Fourth Hokage's dead. He died—"

"Sealing the Kyuubi into me—yeah yeah! But he's alive now!"

Chouji was stuck on the first part of that proclamation, but the rest of the room was wondering what had given out in Naruto's mind that made him think the Fourth Hokage was alive.

"Ah, Naruto—"

The wind blew the window open and rushed in, blowing hair in everyone's eyes, except for Shikamaru's which was tied up, and Kakashi's, which refused to obey _any _law of nature.

Half of the people in the room had whipped out weapons and the other half were in the middle of forming jutsus when the wind began to swirl. Bits of dust began to collect and form, solidifying slowly into the vague outline of a man.

Naruto folded his arms and waited, squinting to keep the wind out of his eyes. The wind suddenly picked up for a second, spinning around the figure so fast it was indiscernible. When it died down, Namikaze Minato blinked a couple of times and turned in place.

Naruto grinned and put his hands behind his head. "See? I told you he wasn't dead!"

* * *

--

* * *

Short, I know, but this deserved a chapter all to itself! And I really need to get to bed now!

So, I assume that Shikamaru would not be too surprised by the revelation that Naruto is Kyuubi's jailer. He would be able to process it and move on quickly, in my opinion. And I honestly believe that in some ways, Kakashi could be a more powerful ninja without the Sharingan. Obviously, as I said, some things would be weaker, but in many respects, he could be stronger. And I'm just talking about the physical aspect, not the emotional growth that came with it.

R&R please! I loves you all!


	18. Chapter 14

Okay, take two! I like this version a lot better, and I think that most of you will as well. The changes start when Kakashi asks "Kyuubi no Kitsune is nicer?"

Chapter 14

"See? I told you he was alive."

The wind died down and silence reigned in the room. For those who had known the Fourth, it was like a ghost come back to life. For those who had lived after his death, it was a stone face and scowling picture animated in front of them.

Namikaze Minato slowly turned around, eyeing the gaping faces warily. There were a few that seemed familiar to him, but he only relaxed when he saw Naruto sprawled in the bed. He moved toward the bed.

"Oh, no you don't," Kakashi growled. In an instant he was between Minato and Naruto.

Naruto frowned at his sensei's back. "Kakashi-sensei—"

"Kakashi?!" Minato goggled. "You-you're so tall!"

The killer intent jacked up in the room as Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "I don't know who you are, or why you are impersonating the Fourth, but if you take one more step, I'll kill you where you stand."

To prove his point, Kakashi lifted his headband. The Sharingan blazed angrily at Minato, who stared blankly. "Wha—but Kakashi. I don't—Naruto—"

"Wait—what's going on?" Chouji wondered. There was a confused blond man standing in Naruto's hospital room being threatened by Kakashi. The man's confusion was apparently turning to anger.

Minato frowned. He saw the coming combat and didn't like it. And someone was between him and Naruto. This person was dangerous, Minato could recognize that—he didn't want anything like that near his son.

"Kakashi—" Tsunade started, stepping forward.

"Move," Minato commanded.

The elite Jounin's response was to pull a kunai out and level it at the resurrected Hokage. "Make me, _sensei." _

Kurenai stood up and held up her hands. "Okay, I think—"

"Do _not _come between me and my son!" Minato roared.

Kurenai and Yamato cringed, and Sakura and Chouji's jaws dropped. Naruto sat up straight. They all began yelling at once.

"Naruto, you didn't know because—"

"Keep control of your anger, we don't want Kyuubi—"

"The Fourth was Naruto's dad—"

"Wait! I thought Naruto was an orphan—"

"Listen up, Yondaime! I don't need you or anyone—"

Sai watched the scene with detached interest. Kurenai, Yamato, Sakura, Chouji and Naruto were all yelling and Kakashi and Minato looked about ready to have at each other. He looked to the only sane ones and saw the look exchanged between them. Understanding the look, he slipped out of the door and waited outside as Tsunade punched a hole in the wall.

The hospital shuddered and everyone in the room froze. After the dust settled, Tsunade raised her head and spoke.

"All of you, _sit down and shut up!"_

Five people sat down and shut up instantly. Kakashi and Minato were still in stand-off position, but their shadows were connected to Shikamaru. Sweat was beading on Minato's forehead as he strained to escape the hold, and his breath was fast and uneven.

Tsunade lowered her fist and stepped forward slowly. She gently laid a hand on Minato's shoulder. "Minato, look at me."

The blue eyes—so similar to his son's—had been darting around but landed on her face. "Blink if you remember me."

He blinked once.

"Shikamaru is going to release the shadow hold," she told him. Tsunade ran a hand through Minato's hair and her fist came down with several strands of hair, roots included. Minato didn't notice. "So just stay calm, alright?"

He blinked again and she nodded once to Shikamaru. The unnatural shadows stretched across the floor shivered and then retreated, sliding back to their original. Minato and Kakashi both flexed their muscles and shifted slightly.

Sai, who had come back into the room when it had gotten quiet, snickered. "A Hokage frozen by a sixteen year old Chuunin. I can see where Naruto gets his small penis from."

Sakura clocked him on the back of the head and he shut up.

"Okay, now we are all just going to _calm down_," Tsunade commanded, waving the ANBU to attention, rather than battle-ready. "Sakura, Chouji, Sai, Shikamaru and Kurenai, step outside. Yamato, fix the wall. Kakashi, scan the area and make sure there's no one here that can eavesdrop."

Sakura tried to protest, but a look from Tsunade silenced her and pressed the strands of hair into her hand. Getting the message, she filed out with the others as Yamato's trees shot up and covered up the 

giant hole in the wall. Tsunade was tempted to have Minato taken away, but figured that a Hokage, an elite Jounin and an ANBU could handle him even if he decided to attack them all. Besides, she would be watching him closely during Naruto's tale.

At a nod from Kakashi, she turned to Naruto. "Well, brat, this seems to all revolve around you. Care to explain?"

The blond scratched the back of his head. "Well, I don't know exactly where to begin."

"What happened in the woods?" Tsunade demanded. "When you passed out."

Naruto looked confused for a moment, but then his face cleared. "Ooooh. Wow, that was a long time ago. Well, I dumped water on Sasuke—hey, how's he doing?"

"If you finish your story, I'll tell you," Tsunade answered. She had the tone of a parent promising a reluctant child some candy.

Naruto frowned, but scratched his head. "Anyway, I was running through the woods when I tripped over this invisible box. Sasuke and I investigated it, but then it grabbed hold of my chakra—or something—and then I passed out."

"So, he was telling the truth, then," Tsunade muttered. "What happened between when you passed out and when you woke up just now?"

With a deep breath, Naruto spilled the entire story. He told the occupants of the room all about the alternate universe, his family, everyone else's problems, the _Areah Broah, _the destruction of the box, and the conversation in the gods' chamber. The other occupants of the room had been silent until this point, but when Naruto got to the part about the chains around Kyuubi that Amarante had pulled off, there was a bit of a reaction.

Kakashi's regular eye widened and he pulled out his Sharingan, focusing on the blond in the bed. Tsunade shoved Naruto back onto the bed and hiked his shirt up, while Yamato stepped forward and started poking at his seal.

"Were the chains the seal?" Tsunade demanded. "Did this goddess take Kyuubi out of you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, it was something with the Mangekyo Sharingan symbol on it. I think it had something to do with Madara."

All movement in the room ceased with that name. Naruto nodded and tried not to squirm. Yamato's poking had started to tickle him and the last thing he wanted was to start giggling and writhing on the bed.

"Yeah, Kyuubi said it had something to do with why he attacked Konoha, but he didn't explain it," Naruto added.

"Kyuubi isn't going to come out and kill us all?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto shook his head, sending blond spikes flying. "Naw, even if he did get out, he seems . . . nicer."

Dead silence reigned in the room.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune is nicer?" Kakashi wondered. "He's a malevolent, ancient demon—"

"No, he's not," Minato interrupted. "Ancient, yes. Malevolent, not so much."

"We'll get to that later," Tsunade said. "So, Kyuubi was freed from those chain things."

Naruto's eyes went distant for a minute, then he said, "Kyuubi says they were a genjutsu put on him by Madara."

"Just finish your story," Tsunade ordered. "What happened in the gods' chamber after that Amarante woman pulled the chains off Kyuubi?"

"Well, Kyuubi and I went into the Shinigami's stomach. We fought a bunch of monsters, and found all four Hokages—Blondie, the Old Man, and the first two. I used Shadow Clones to bring them all out. Once we were back in the chamber place, Samuru said that if they wanted to, all four Hokages could come back out. Obviously, the Fourth did, but the other three said they wanted to move on."

Tsunade sighed inwardly. When Naruto had said that Sarutobi had come out, she had thought for an instant that she would have her teacher and mentor back. Kami knew that she could use some help right now.

"Then what happened?" Yamato asked. "How did the two of you get back here?"

"Then, Samuru told us that it was about time for us to get back home, but I still had some questions," Naruto answered. "I was kinda confused."

"At least that hasn't changed," Tsunade smirked.

Naruto puffed his cheeks out at her. "That's not funny, you mean old hag!"

Tsunade made to smack him on the head, but felt Minato's killer intent spike. She folded her arms and shot him a glare instead. "Don't call me that, brat!"

"Anyway, Minowa, the one really stupid god, said that he'd had enough of me, so he kicked me through the door thing. Since our souls are still connected, or something, Kyuubi was pulled through, too," Naruto finished. "I guess the Fourth just followed us through, or something."

"I have to protect you," Minato said.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed slowly. "And then I woke up here. A few minutes later, he appeared and here we are."

Silence reigned in the room after Naruto finished. Minato was frowning. He had noticed that Kakashi, Tsunade, and Naruto all seemed distant. He couldn't quite figure out why, though. He reasoned that 

part of it was because he had died a long time ago and was now alive, but that didn't explain Naruto. Why was he so . . . cold? Minato knew he was out of it, but he had noticed that his son hadn't called him 'Dad.' Some part of him knew it was because he'd been absent for so long, but still, it hurt.

"How, exactly, can we verify this story?" Kakashi wondered.

"He's standing _right there!" _Naruto shouted, pointing at Minato.

The three senior ninjas turned to stare at Minato, who just met their eyes and raised an eyebrow. Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Naruto, it is entirely possible that you were put under and exceptional genjutsu and this is an imposter."

Naruto stared at her for a minute and she could all but see the denial forming in his mind. That meant it would be coming out of his mouth soon. Naruto wasn't too good with the brain-mouth filtering process.

"That's not true!" he shouted.

"Naruto, I know that you want your father to be alive, but you have to think about the fact that it might not all be real," Kakashi insisted.

The Chuunin shook his head vigorously, blond hair flying. "No, it all happened, it was all real!"

"_As annoying as the cycloptic human is, he's right, kit," _Kyuubi growled in Naruto's head. _"You must accept the fact that the family you knew wasn't real."_

_They were real to me, you stupid furball! _Naruto shot back. _How many times do I have to tell you that?_

"_Fine! They were real to you. You developed emotional connections to them and for a short time, those 'people' were your family, but they are gone now. That is something you must come to terms with."_

_How? _Naruto demanded, tears forming at the back of his eyes. _I lost my whole family, the only family I ever knew! How do I deal with that? _

"_And you wonder why the Uchiha brat is messed up."_

"Naruto!"

The blond brought his head back up and his mind to the present. The four adults were staring at him in worry. "What?"

"You spaced out for a minute, there, kiddo," Minato said, stepping closer.

Tsunade frowned at him. "Just stay back, okay? If you really are the Fourth, you'll understand why."

Minato frowned, but didn't advance farther. He folded his arms and bit down hard on his lip. He clearly wanted to go closer to Naruto, to see what was wrong, but respected Tsunade.

"It's nothing," Naruto dismissed. "I was just talking to Kyuubi."

" . . . we'll deal with Kyuubi later. He's not an imminent threat," Tsunade snapped, desperately trying to stay on target. "Right now, we need to figure out what to do about him."

"Ask me questions," Minato supplied. "It's obvious—I know, I know, very obvious, but it should give you some idea."

Tsunade and Kakashi exchanged a glance—both of them knew him very well, but this would only take them so far. Even if this person had Minato's memories, they could have somehow been implanted. Also, verification of his memories didn't indicate he had good intentions as well. But it was a starting point.

"Alright, we'll start with something simple," Tsunade agreed. "What did I call you when you were a child?"

"Mina-chan," he answered. A small smile appeared on his face. "Jiraiya would take us out for training or missions and we'd get all banged up. He'd take us to you because the hospital would put marks on his record if we kept showing up there injured."

Tsunade nodded. "Alright. At what age did your appointment to the Hokage go through the financial department?"

"It didn't," Minato said slowly. "I was appointed during the war and Konoha was deep in debt because of that. I was already making enough on my Jounin salary, so I had the raise go to rebuilding the hospital."

"Eh?" Naruto demanded. "You gave away money? What if you needed it?"

" . . . I didn't." Minato frowned.

"Geez, how much money did you have?" Naruto pouted, putting his hands behind his head. "Were you like Ero-Sennin rich or something?"

Minato stared at Naruto, a look of blank confusion covering his face. "Who is Ero-Sennin?"

"That's what the brat calls Jiraiya," Tsunade answered. Minato's lips twitched.

"What did you say to me when I woke after Obito's death?" Kakashi asked after a moment, meeting the man's eyes dead on. He raised his hitae-ate to expose his Sharingan.

The amusement that had been brought up by the mention of Ero-Sennin drained from Minato's face and his eyes took on a sad cast that seemed to dampen the entire room. "I apologized that I hadn't gotten there in time and told you that Rin had told me everything."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "That's right. Do you have another question, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes," Tsunade said. "Another question: how did you get the scar on your inner thigh?"

A blush dusted Minato's cheek and he scratched the back of his head. "Kushina attacked me between bouts of morning sickness when I brought flowers over. She said she was thrilled we were going to have a baby, but she'd never go through it again."

"Huh." Tsunade grunted. "You certainly seem to have Minato's memories."

A small smile appeared on Minato's face. "I should."

"Wait a minute!" Naruto shouted. "I have a question!"

Tsunade, Kakashi and Yamato barely suppressed their weary sighs. Barely an hour awake and Naruto was already his usual self. It was both heartwarming and infuriating. Couldn't he be conscious _and _quiet at the same time?

"What happened to my mom?"

Tsunade frowned. She had hoped that this wouldn't come up just yet. It was enough that Naruto would have to deal with his dad alive, but his mother's death on top of it? And she really didn't want to deal with Minato's reaction.

"What about her?" Minato demanded. "Why are you asking? Why don't you know? Has she gone somewhere? Where is she?"

Kakashi frowned as Minato's tone got increasingly frantic. He had been stable for the past few minutes, but the calm was apparently only as long as nothing was wrong.

"Samuru said she was alive," Naruto said. "When I asked if I would be allowed to bring her back to life, he said it wouldn't be necessary because she wasn't dead."

"You didn't know? Wait, why would you think she was dead? Didn't you live with her?"

Naruto raised his eyes and met Minato's. "No."

The elder blond's brow furrowed deeply. His chest began to heave shallowly and rapidly and his hands were clenching and unclenching. "What? But then—who? Where? Is she, is she dead?"

"Minato!" Tsunade snapped, bringing him back to reality. "Why would you think Kushina was alive? When was the last time you saw her?"

"When Naruto was born," Minato answered. "I was up in the valley, in the mountains, waiting. He was brought out to me and I left immediately and returned to the battlefield and—uh . . ."

"Sealed the furball in me," Naruto supplied, giving the Yondaime his brightest, widest smile.

"Yes," Minato said softly. "I did."

His eyes went distant for a moment, and he was almost lost to memories and guilt, but Tsunade's next question brought him back. "There was no damage to the tribe?"

The Fourth shook his head. "No. None at all. Who told you there was?"

Tsunade frowned and asked Kakashi, saying she hadn't been there. He answered, "Orochimaru. He was one of the few to have access to the entrance, so Sarutobi sent him. He returned, saying that the village had been destroyed and Kushina was dead."

Tsunade, Kakashi and Yamato explained to the again frantic Minato that there was a good chance Orochimaru was lying and that he had become a missing nin just a year after the Kyuubi attack. Slowly, he calmed down and became rational again.

_Why are they all calling her Kushina? _Naruto thought, listening to the conversation. _Her name is Meara. _

Kyuubi sighed in the recesses of Naruto's mind. _"As I recall, she always preferred the name Kushina over Meara. She and Minato felt it would be better to protect you if she hid her identity, remember?"_

Naruto scowled and made sure the fox could feel his anger. _Hey, if you were such a good friend to my parents, why'd you go an attack the village? _

The demon chuckled. _"That's a long story, kit. Do you wanna hear it?"_

_I wouldn't have asked if it didn't, dumbass. _

"_Settle in then, and listen close, because you'll have to tell your Hokage and senseis when I'm done."_


	19. Chapter 15

**STOP! I rewrote the last part of the last chapter. You have to go back and read it! **

For those of you that have, wasn't it much better? Advice: don't write a chapter late at night and rush it. It'll end up like the second half of the last one (SUCKY).

I'm sorry for the unprofessionalism in this act, but I'd rather write a good story with a few goofs than be proud and unwilling to fix my mistakes. (Bows deeply) Please forgive me.

I'm also trying a bit of a new style with this. The italics are Kyuubi speaking in a narrative position. Things that aren't bolded are regular scenes, told from third person. Himiko is mine, btw. My invention.

Chapter 15

_As you know, I met your father just about thirty-five years ago. He saved me from a bunch of stupid villagers. I stayed with him and his grandfather, Akihito, for five years in the form of a regular red fox with one tail, though they both knew the truth about me. _

_When your father became a Chuunin, I transformed from my one-tailed disguise to a human, and took the name of Hideharu. I kept an eye on him and helped him train as your great-grandfather became weaker with age. With my help, he created the Hiraishin from his bloodline. The jutsu is commonly mistaken for a simple speed enhancement, but it is in fact a manipulation of space and time. Your clan, the Namikazes, invented the first space/time ninjutsus. _

_I was covering another member of your team when we met your mother. She was a loud, annoying little girl back then. I'm pretty sure she bugged the hell out of Jiraiya during those days, and that impression lasted longer than any other of her. She returned to her village after a year, but war broke out four years later. She was sixteen then; Minato was nineteen. The war was hard, brutal. Kushina came back out of the mountains and made a name for herself fighting Rock and Lightning. I was already Jounin level, though the Old Man didn't know who I was. When Minato and later Kushina made Jounin, we were eventually put on a team together. It was one of our first missions together. We were assigned to go into Lightning and investigate a secret base that was being used as a laboratory. _

"The place is locked up like Tsunade's liquor cabinet," Kushina whined, glaring at the schematics.

Hideharu chuckled and put his hands behind his head. "Well, we just need to sneak someone in."

"Right, that's so helpful," she snapped, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "We'd need someone who could be interesting enough to get their attention so they didn't just kill them right off the bat. Then we'd need some signal so that he or she could send for help before being too hurt by the experiments. And then, they'd need some way to get in to save that person. Any ideas?"

Hideharu pursed his lips. "Aw, why do I always have to be the one to come up with ideas? Can't you two contribute every once in a while?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kushina demanded.

"Well, at least Minato's useful in fighting," Hideharu shot back, a smirk spreading on his lips. "What have you done so far? You can't even cook!"

With a cry of rage, Kushina launched herself at the other redhead, snarling things about ungrateful chauvinist pigs and arrogant, self-righteous jackasses. The two of them rolled across the uneven terrain, throwing bar fight style punches and pulling each other's hair. Minato ignored his two friends, carefully studying the schematics of the facility and the surrounding area. He reached into his hip pack and pulled out a kunai. It wasn't any ordinary kunai, though. He had it special made a few months ago, and had been working on the seal on it ever since.

Kushina kneed Hideharu in the balls and stumbled back, snickering as he moaned on the ground.

"I have an answer," Minato called. He was still standing over by the campfire, dangling one odd kunai in his hand.

"Oh yeah, and what would that be?" Kushina demanded.

"This." He hurled the weapon at her and it flew true, passing inches in front of the woman's face. Her eyes widened and she threw herself back. Before she could hit the ground, Minato was in front of her, left arm around her waist to keep her from falling. His right hand shot out and grabbed the kunai. Speechless, Kushina stared up at him.

"Hot damn!" Hideharu howled. "You did it!"

Minato grinned as he stood up, pulling Kushina up with him. "And that's how we'll get in."

"Wait . . . I don't understand," Kushina said, staring up at him. "What did you do? How did you get over here so fast?"

Minato showed her the kunai. "It's a space/time jutsu I created. I can transport myself to this seal anytime I choose. It doesn't matter what's in the way, or what I have to go through."

"So, Hideharu or I will get captured and take one of your kunais—"

Hideharu shook his head. "No, no weapons. Can you put the seal on skin, Minato?"

Minato frowned deeply, considering. "I'd have to modify it a little bit, but yeah."

"When can you have it ready?" Kushina asked.

"Tomorrow morning," Minato answered. "You two figure out who will be the bait."

Kushina and Hideharu looked at each other. Kushina folded her arms and stared to the left of his ear. "Well, I suppose I should be the bait."

Hideharu raised an eyebrow and picked under one of his nails. "And why's that?"

"You're a strong ninja, I'm not going to lie, but there's nothing in you that any scientists would want. Nothing . . . special," Kushina answered.

Hideharu, also known as Kyuubi, bit down on his tongue to keep from rejecting her idea. "Oh, really. And what do you have?"

"_Areah Broah," _she answered. "It's something unique to the Churaeah tribe in the mountains. It can be used as chakra, but it has many other purposes as well. It's also a heck of a lot more powerful when used in jutsus."

"You know what would happen to you?" Hideharu asked, lowering his hands and looking her straight in the eye. "Do you know what happens in that place?"

Kushina nodded. "You are warning me because I may have to go through hours or perhaps a couple days of pain. There are people in there who have had to deal with it for months. What kind of person would I be if I couldn't handle that to save them?"

"So, the little firebrand has a heart as well?" Hideharu teased. "I didn't think your temper allowed room for it."

"Go jerk yourself off, Hideharu," she sneered.

The night passed uneventfully. Minato stayed up working on his seal so that Kushina could activate it just by pumping chakra into it. She rested and meditated to prepare for the infiltration and Hideharu kept watch all night long.

"Alright, Blondie," Kushina chirped the next morning. "Where do you want to stick this seal?"

Minato raised his head and smiled at her. "It's a pretty big seal. The yellow paper on my kunais is actually folded and wrapped around it several times. I haven't managed to make it smaller yet, so somewhere with a lot of room."

"Like, my back or my stomach?" Kushina asked, raising her eyebrows.

Minato scratched the back of his head and nodded. "Either would work. Whatever's most comfortable for you."

Kushina grinned. "Okay. I guess my back will work, but I'll have to take off my bandages."

"What bandages?" Minato wondered. "You weren't hurt recently were you?"

"Nope." Kushina pulled her top off to reveal white bandages wrapped around her chest. "These bandages."

She suppressed a smirk as his eyes got really, really wide. His mouth opened and closed several times and Kushina started to pull them off. The more white bandages came off, the higher the blush crept up his face. It started just above his collar and was up to his cheeks by the time he managed to tear his eyes away. Kushina rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in her arms to keep from snickering. "I'm ready when you are."

After a few moments, Minato composed himself and picked up the ink brush. He carefully began to draw the seal on her back. "Don't squirm," he warned her. "We can't afford to mess this up."

"But it tickles," she complained, trying to hold herself still.

"Just don't move," he ordered. Kushina closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, keeping it as smooth and even as possible. After a while, and a lot of cold brush strokes, he finally set the brush down.

"The only thing left to do is to activate it," he announced. "I have to put chakra into it so that it will work. It might hurt, but I don't know. I've never done this before."

Kushina nodded. "Do it."

Minato placed his hands on her back, on the driest part of the seal. He pumped chakra into it and it glowed bright white for a minute. Kushina hissed as she felt the seal connect with her chakra system. After a moment, the seal disappeared into her skin.

"You should be good now."

Kushina sat up and Minato immediately averted his eyes. She laughed. "Why are you so shy?"

Before he could come up with sensible words, Kushina continued. "Come on, Minato. You've seen it. I know you and Hideharu spy on the bathhouses."

_Busted! _Minato grimaced. "Look, I told Hideharu—"

Kushina laughed again and pulled her top back on. "Relax, Minato! I make sure to never go to the bathhouse when _he's _around," she said, grinning. "Only you."

She walked off to get ready for her mission. Hideharu threw himself down next to Minato, howling with laughter.

"Shut up!" Minato hissed.

Hideharu ignored him and continued to laugh and attempt to taunt him between gasps. Angered, Minato tackled Hideharu and rubbed his nose in the dirt until Kushina yelled at them to get up and start the mission.

* * *

Kushina raised her head. She had made it into the facility with no problem. A couple of _Areah Broah _jutsus and they had picked her up like a slut in a bar. The ninjas had knocked her out and taken her back. When she'd woken up, she was strapped down to a table. After a time—she wasn't sure how long—they had thrown her into a cell. Kushina pushed the thoughts out of her head and gathered her chakra, pushing it into the seal on her back.

Not a second later, Minato and Hideharu appeared in her cell. Minato and Kushina started to free the prisoners in the wing they were in, while Hideharu ran to the high-security wing. He knew time was pressed—they would have detected the intrusion and the open cells. Guards would be coming. He was nothing but a red blur as his demonic chakra enhanced his movements.

He killed all the guards easily and slashed the locks on the gates, shouting for everyone to get out. Most of the prisoners immediately ran in the opposite direction, terrified, but one—the woman in the last cell—stared up at him, golden eyes wide, taking in his red cloak of chakra.

"Kyuubi-sama."

_We took the prisoners and the research back to Konoha. Tsunade was leading the team to rehabilitate and heal them, and we gave Orochimaru the research on the people, so he could figure out what he had done to them. _

_Minato and Kushina started dating about a year later, when she turned twenty. He absolutely refused to even consider it before then, but I did catch him near the bathhouse a few times. _

_The woman in the last cell's name was Himiko. That's what she told Minato and Kushina during the report. We'll call her that for this story. _

_As it turned out, she was a kitsune as well. Golden fur, six tails. In her true form, she was magnificent. The scientists had captured her months before and she had been trapped there ever since. I volunteered to help her heal, because we were both demons. There are aspects of a demon's mind, body and spirit that humans have no knowledge of. She needed one of her kind to properly heal. _

_Time passed. Kushina and Minato grew closer, as did I and Himiko. Less than a year later, she had almost completely healed._

"It's your last therapy session, Himiko," Tsunade said, a wide smile spreading on her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Good, Tsunade-sama," she answered with a responding smile. "My limp is almost gone and I can make it up to the seventh floor of—never mind."

Tsunade grinned at Hideharu's satisfied smirk. "So, you live on the seventh floor, Hideharu?"

Himiko's face reddened as Hideharu nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Indeed I do."

"Alright," Tsunade said, barely resisting the urge to tease the poor woman into an embarrassment coma. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

The trio made their way to the pool and ran their way through the exercises. After a solid hour and a half of water calisthenics, and some 'synchronized swimming' between Hideharu and Himiko, they finally only had one thing left.

"Are you sure about this, Himiko?" Tsunade asked.

The small blonde woman nodded. "Yes. I can make it this time. I swore I would make it the entire length before the end of our sessions. This is the last one, so I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Just swim to me, babeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Hideharu called, sitting at the far length of the pool.

Himiko laughed as the other occupants of the room threw him dirty glares. "Alright! You better be ready for me!"

"I'm always ready for _you!"_

Tsunade and Himiko dissolved into fits of giggles as Hideharu rocked back on his heels with a big grin on his face. After getting herself under control, Himiko pushed off the wall and started swimming to the other end of the pool—and Hideharu.

"Just swim down here and get your reward, Himiko!" he shouted. "And you'll get another one when we get home!"

Tsunade laughed as Himiko desperately tried to control hers during the swim. Finally, she made it to the other end and grabbed onto the edge of the pool, gasping for breath. "Kami, my legs hurt," she gasped.

"How 'bout your lips?" Hideharu demanded, leaning down.

Himiko grinned. "They're fine, why?"

Hideharu grabbed her by the elbows and hauled her out of the pool, drawing her into his lap and pressing his lips to hers. Himiko wrapped her tired arms around his neck and melted into him. Tsunade made some marks on her clipboard, indicating Himiko's therapy was done and walked out of the room, leaving the two to the catcalls and shouts to get a room.

They did, specifically, Hideharu's room.

She curled up next to him later that night, happy and relaxed.

"Kyuubi," Himiko whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Can we leave Konoha?" she asked. "At least for a little while."

Kyuubi opened his eyes and looked down at her. "Why? Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, nuzzling into his chest at the same time. "No, nothing's wrong. It's a wonderful place, but . . ."

"But what, baby?" he asked. Kyuubi shifted and tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes. "What is it?"

Himiko sighed and traced her finger over his abs. "Well, sex as a human is fine, but I want to mate with you. As foxes."

Kyuubi was silent as he contemplated her request. It was true, living in a human village was very constricting as to what they could do.

"No," he murmured after a while. "I don't want to mate with you."

"What?" she demanded, propping herself up on an elbow. "Why? What is wrong?"

Kyuubi smiled gently and kissed her. "I don't want to mate with you. I want to be your mate."

Himiko gasped as the implications of her lover's statement. He kissed her again and grinned. "Say yes. Come on, say yes. You want to."

_She said yes and we left Konoha a month later. Himiko and I moved to the least inhabited part of the Fire Country. We were mates, which is a concept that humans have difficulty understanding. The closest thing you have is 'true love' or its legal and religious equivalent, 'marriage.' _

_Six months went by—some of the happiest of my life. Himiko was sweet, gentle, the opposite of me in almost every way. It was scary, how protective I was of her. She would often say that I was an obsessed idiot, but she would always kiss me after. _

_It was April of the year before you were born. Himiko discovered that she was pregnant. We were going to have a litter. I wanted to go to Konoha, to celebrate, but it was too dangerous to leave her in the early months of her pregnancy. _

_As her time neared, other members of her family came in. Six-tailed foxes are funny that way—they only gather as a clan when a major event is to occur. _

_She gave birth in mid February, a litter of five. Three males, two females. _

_You have no idea, kit. No idea how precious it is to see your mate and kits, to hold them in your arms. After so many years, I had thought there was nothing new, nothing left that I could see or be amazed by, but I was wrong. I never dreamed I would be so enthralled to just watch them sleep. I called Minato, told him to come to the nearest town. _

_As it turned out, he had some news of his own. _

"Kushina's pregnant."

"No shit!"

Minato nodded and knocked back another shot. "Yeah. She tried to castrate me when I brought her flowers."

Kyuubi laughed. "The smell probably made her sick. Did she succeed?"

"No," he answered.

Kyuubi shook his head and laughed, downing more sake. "I tell you what, Minato—"

"I'm scared."

"Eh? Don't interrupt me with that! Of course you are!"

"Were you?"

Kyuubi nodded vigorously. "Hell, yeah! It gets even scarier when you're actually holding them. Wait, are you having one or more?"

Minato's eyes widened. "One, as far as I know."

"Yeah, try having five at once," Kyuubi muttered. "I haven't slept properly in a month."

"Kami! What if I mess up? What if I do something wrong? What if my kids grow up hating me?"

Kyuubi put down the bottle and turned to his friend. "Look, if you love them, and do what's best for them, they might be angry at you for a while, but eventually, they'll understand."

Minato nodded and took another drink. "Damn. I'm gonna screw this up so bad. Listen, if something were to happen to me, look after the baby and Kushina. Make sure they're safe and together."

"I will."

_That was the last time I had a real, civilized conversation with Minato. _

_It was May. My kits were three months old, and your mother was right around four with you. The litter was just learning to walk. _

_They couldn't run yet._

_Two figures with immense chakras came to our home. I recognized one immediately, but the other took a while longer. I was about to transform into a human to greet Orochimaru and his friend when the other threw back his hood._

_All Madara had to do was put his hand on me, and I was helpless. _

_The kits were too small, too defenseless, and the birth had been hard on Himiko. She was strong, but her time with the scientists had left her with a permanent limp. _

_The only chance they had was me. _

_I hate the Sharingan._

Naruto shivered. It was the same feeling as before, when Kyuubi had first been released in the gods' chamber. Raging grief, anger, helplessness, self-loathing.

_You don't have to continue, _he whispered to the demon.

"_No, I do."_

_The snake bastard puked up a sword. Himiko tried to hold him back, but she knew it was useless. Even if she gave the kits a chance, they couldn't run. _

_They couldn't run._

_One tried to fight back after she had fallen. He was the bravest, stupidest. He was the bright, happy one of the group. He always kept the others laughing, even if he was greedy with her milk. _

_You remind me of him sometimes._

_When the scent of my family's blood was in my nostrils and their corpses were before me, Madara put me under the genjutsu._

_It enhanced my emotions at the time—made me a raving monster. The genjutsu also wiped my memories of the last fifty years. I didn't know Minato, Kushina, my mate or kits. All I knew was the thirst for blood. The final element of the genjutsu directed me to Konoha. _

_At the time of the slaughter, I was the size of a horse. I knew that to attack, to devastate Konoha and get my revenge, I would need a much larger form. _

_It took months. Five months, to be exact. I converted my incredible chakra to matter, little bit by little bit. Your father came to visit me, just once. _

"I'm sorry for what I have to do, but it's the only way. I can't kill you. I don't know what's wrong with you, but something is. I can't kill you or let the villagers kill you. It's taken me awhile to find this—well, actually, Orochimaru did, but it's the only thing I can think of. I'm sealing you inside a baby when you attack."

"My baby, actually."

"I wish . . . I wish there was some other way. I wish I could seal you in another baby. I wish I could just break you free from this genjutsu. I wish . . ."

"I wish I could see him grow up."

"I'll die with this jutsu. It requires the soul and life of the user. I won't get to see my son grow up. His first steps, his first words, his first day at the Academy, his graduation, his first date. And all the moments in between."

"If there is anything left of the Kyuubi I knew, the one who is my son's godfather, look out for him. He'll need you."

"You must know . . . there is another reason I'm sealing you into him. I've discovered . . . something. Something is rotten in Konoha, and it will come to a head some time in Naruto's life. If I'm right, he is the only one who will have any chance to combat it. I'm giving him you. The seal will mix your chakras, give him incredible power and stamina. That, combined with his _Areah Broah,_ will give him the power boost he'll need if he chooses to fight."

"I must go now. There are still a few things I need to figure out on the seal, but remember, old friend . . ."

"This is for you and him. Forgive me."

_On October tenth, I attacked Konoha. The place I had called home. I killed men and women I had fought beside. I destroyed the forest I had trained and lived in. _

_Madara's genjutsu wasn't quite strong enough, though._

_The resistance was strong, but I could have crushed it in moments. _

_Some part of me had understood Minato's words and I held back. I held out, waiting for him. _

_The old frog, Gamabunta, appeared before me. I assaulted him, coming within feet of Minato. He didn't flinch, he didn't waver. _

_He did hesitate. _

"Goodbye, old friend."

_He uttered a battle cry, loud and long. The shinobi beneath him cheered, thinking their brave and courageous leader would save them and heal them from this terrible attack._

_He managed the first._

_There was light, pure white light. I saw the Shinigami, its hand through Minato's torso. He shuddered and his eyes rolled back in his head. _

_The next thing I knew, Sarutobi was looking down at me. _

"Well, well, little one. What are we going to do with you?"

_What happened then, Kyuubi? _Naruto asked.

"_That's a story for another time, kit," the fox answered. "Besides, your humans are worried about you."_

Naruto blinked and raised his eyes, staring at the four adults in the room. He knew that he had to tell the entire story. With a huge sigh and a heavy heart, he began to speak.

"Kyuubi was once a ninja of Konoha. His name was Hideharu."

* * *

--

* * *

Okay, I looked up the definition of cliffhanger. "A suspenseful situation at the end of a chapter, scene, or episode" according to dictionary com.

_This chapter does not end in a cliff hanger! _

Naruto is going to tell them the story. No one is in danger, there's no "I have a secret" moments. Now, obviously I didn't resolve everything, but if I did it would be the remainder of the story and probably too long to actually post. There was plot progression, there were answers and there are still some questions.

_CHILLAX. _

Oh, and don't expect this to be over soon. After we find Kushina and figure out the whole story, we still must deal with Akatsuki and the Orochimaru/Kabuto nemesis. It'll be a while, possibly another fic. I mentioned a Part 3 in the early chapters of this.

Yes, there was a bit of Kyuubi fluff, but it wasn't too bad. Hard-core fluff makes me gag most of the time and I was okay reading it.

I'm not sure what Minato discovered--waiting on Kishimoto-sensei to reveal that, but if he doesn't in time, I'll make something up. :P I also have answers to all of your questions, but I can't tell you because it would be giving away the plot. Sorry!

I also wasn't too good with responding to reviews the past couple of weeks (not that I've ever been stellar) but I'll try to fix that.


	20. Chapter 16

Oh, I don't have that much to say today, except that some of you people are impossible to please. (you know who you are)

Chapter 16

Tsunade squeezed her eyes shut as Naruto finished his story. Her head was pounding and her heart ached; she wasn't sure how many more emotional revelations she could handle in one day. Already she wanted to find a bottle of alcohol—it didn't matter what kind, just something intoxicating—and break down. Instead, she settled for pinching the bridge of her nose and promising her runaway emotions that she'd deal with them later. She had bigger fish to fry.

Namely, Uchiha Madara.

And the fact that he was still alive.

And the fact that he had the power to suppress Kyuubi.

And the fact that he and Orochimaru had orchestrated the attack on Konoha.

And the realization that he was probably the mysterious Uchiha with the advanced space/time jutsus that Kakashi's team had met and unsuccessfully fought over a month ago.

He was probably behind Akatsuki, which would explain the red and black theme, as well as the clouds.

_Hell_, she thought, connecting the Tsukuyomi and the red clouds, _he more than likely had a hand in the Uchiha massacre. I knew a thirteen year old couldn't have done it alone._

Now she _really _needed some alcohol.

The Godaime heard other voices—probably Minato and Kakashi talking about Naruto's tale and all that it implied.

Something clicked into place in her head. _"I've discovered something."_

"Minato!"

The blond jumped at her sudden harsh tone. "What?"

"When you were talking to Kyuubi, in the months before he attacked, according to the fox, you said you had discovered something. Do you remember what it was?"

Minato frowned and his eyes slid to the right. "Discovered . . . I'd—wait . . ." He folded his arms and stared hard into space, letting the memories overtake him.

" . . . the shrine," he muttered. "Which one?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, waiting for Minato to sift through his past.

"Na—nakano."

"The Nakano shrine?" Kakashi asked.

Minato didn't respond or even cut his thousand-yard stare. Worry for him added onto her list of problems—the Minato she'd known was always focused when he put the Hokage robes on. He would never have allowed himself to drift into thought when matters were pressing.

She was just about to walk up and snap her fingers in his face when the door exploded open and the last thing, no wait two things Tsunade needed, especially right now, walked in.

Ukatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

"Tsunade, we heard that Uzumaki was . . . awake . . ."

All conversation in the room ceased at the two elders clapped eyes on the resurrected Yondaime. The sound of the door opening had snapped him out of his daze and the man blinked at the two elders confusedly.

"What is going on in here?" Homura wondered, alternating between staring at Minato and glaring at Tsunade.

"Is this some kind of funny prank?" Koharu demanded. "What are you trying to pull, Tsunade?"

Tsunade took a moment to hiss out a breath between her teeth, but it was a moment too long to wait. Minato sensed the suspicion and hostility emanating from Koharu and Homura and didn't like it. His hand crept to the kunai pouch on his hip and despite Tsunade's earlier warnings, he shifted closer to Naruto. The two elders, being close-minded but not blind, saw.

"So, this has something to do with you?" Homura demanded, rounding on Naruto.

"It's hardly a surprise," Koharu snapped, glaring at the boy in the bed. "He is the cause of most of Konoha's trouble now. What did you do, Uzumaki?"

"Don't talk to him that way," Minato growled, three standard kunai clutched in his right hand.

Both the elders stiffened at that tone. Tsunade stepped forward and tried to offer words of peace, but calming people down wasn't exactly her specialty. "Listen, we all need to calm down—"

"Were you being a calm, rational Hokage when you discovered this man here, Tsunade?" Homura demanded.

Tsunade bristled, but Koharu picked up the assault before she could defend herself. "Indeed. Upon discovering an impostor in the hospital room of a Konoha ninja—"

"Oh, now he's a ninja, instead of just the 'demon brat,' huh?" Tsunade interrupted her. "Naruto's only a person when he suits your needs."

"_Demon . . . brat?" _

There was a moment of dead silence as Tsunade processed the horrendous error she'd made. It was clear Minato was ridiculously protective of his son, and more than a little mentally unstable. Add to that the fact that he was undoubtedly on edge from the aggression coming from Koharu and Homura and he was an explosive tag set to detonate. Bringing up the elders' treatment of Naruto right then was clearly the seal that set him off.

With a silent snarl twisting his lips, Minato brought the kunai into attack position and launched himself at the two geriatric members of the Council. Even without the Hiraishin, Minato was unnaturally fast, and before Tsunade or Kakashi could even attempt to stop him, he and Homura had locked kunais.

"You've just attacked a Council member—" Homura informed him, a victorious smirk on the man's face.

"Tell me why I should care!" Minato shouted, backflipping away and landing on the table next to Naruto's bed. He leaped off it again, intent on hurting one of the elders, but it was two on one, and the argument with Homura had given Koharu an opportunity, which she used.

"Wind Style: Air Hammer!"

Tsunade grimaced and grabbed Naruto, pulling him onto the floor and out of the way of the jutsu. Kakashi and Yamato both cleared out of its way as well, and Minato snagged a bedsheet and yanked himself down. The Air Hammer Koharu had created still caught the edge of his foot and the former Hokage was sent spinning.

He crashed through the plaster, right next to the planks of wood Yamato had put up.

_Sensei always did have the luck of the gods, _Kakashi thought, flying out the Minato-shaped hole an instant after Homura and Koharu. _A foot to the left and half his bones would have been smashed on the wood._

"ANBU!" Koharu shouted. "This man is an impostor and assassin! Kill him!"

Minato's eyes widened as over fifteen ANBU emerged out of nowhere and descended on him. Somewhere in his mind, he recognized they were Konoha ninjas, and that he shouldn't fight them, but they were brandishing their weapons and raising their killer intent. Sixteen years of instinct were hard to resist.

The first battle was aerial, and Minato swung the resulting limp body around as leverage to get onto the nearby roofs. The unconscious ANBU crashed into two of his comrades, but they landed sideways on an electrical pole. Minato's palm slapped on the tiled roof and he spun on it, bringing the rest of his body down in a crouch.

_Fifteen original. One down, one transportation. _

_Kunai! Dodge three, block two. _

_ANBU. Highly trained, conditioning program. Sometimes predictable. _

_Three down, one out. Ten left. _

_Three o'clock! Calling for backup!_

_Nine left. Backup coming._

* * *

Nara Yoshino reached out and rubbed her friend's arm comfortingly. "I'm sure Ino will be fine, Inoichi. She's a strong girl and Tsunade's the best medic in the world!"

She smiled and waited for Shikaku to chime in with his own encouragement, but her lazy husband just sat there and stared out the window. Frustrated, Yoshino let go of Inoichi for a moment to smack the spiky-haired man and snarl, "Shikaku, say something!"

"Like what?" Shikaku sighed. "Inoichi knows everything you've told him. You're just being redundant."

"Redundant?" Yoshino shrieked. The only person in the coffee shop who didn't wince was Chouza, whose mouth was too full of barbeque to allow for facial movements.

"Now you've done it," Inoichi muttered. Shikaku just sighed heavily and slouched in his chair while his wife ranted on about sensitivity and the male gender's lack of it. His gaze drifted out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of some interesting cloud formations. The dark ones on the horizon indicated a storm was coming, and he sighed at the thought of what he'd have to do to prepare for it. Blocking off the dangerous slopes, making sure the deer stayed away from the river, which would probably overflow, and checking the drainage on his wife's garden, because that would drown in the coming downpour.

He tuned back in to his wife's voice when another's joined hers in shouting. Ah, it was the manager, asking her to leave. Might as well, he wasn't all that hungry anyway.

"Come on," he groaned, standing up. "There's a storm coming and we need to get ready."

While Yoshino resumed her shouting, again directed at him, Shikaku threw some money down and wandered out the door, followed closely by Inoichi and eventually by Yoshino. He knew Chouza wouldn't leave, and they wouldn't kick him out, until he was good and full and that would be a while.

He wandered down the street in the general direction of his house. He was trying to figure out the shortest way back when the hairs on the back of his neck rose up.

"Do you feel that?" Inoichi asked him.

Shikaku nodded. "Yeah. There's a full-blown battle going on somewhere."

"Near the hospital," Inoichi added.

"Go, hurry," Yoshino urged. "If it's near the hospital, Ino might be in danger."

Shikaku and Inoichi took off, speeding across the rooftops, and Chouza followed a minute later, a take-away bag of barbeque clutched in his hand.

They neared the hospital and saw the growing crowd of civilians on the streets, all staring up. ANBU were flocking to the scene as well, passing the two retired Jounin with ease and calling for backup. Shikaku sent chakra to his ears and picked up whispers and murmurs from the crowd below. What he heard stunned him so much he collided with Inoichi when the other man abruptly stopped.

"Wha? Inoichi—"

"Am I crazy or . . . or I don't have an acceptable alternative," the blond man muttered, staring straight ahead.

Shikaku shuffled to the side and peered where Inoichi was staring, already having a suspicion what he would see.

Indeed, there on the rooftops, battling the ANBU, was a tall man with sunny yellow spikes and a red and white cloak.

For all appearances, the Fourth Hokage.

"Maybe . . . maybe it's Naruto," Inoichi said.

"That would explain why he hasn't used Hiraishin," Shikaku agreed, sharp eyes taking in every move the 'Yondaime' made. "But that taijutsu style isn't Naruto's, it's definitely Minato's."

"Naruto is still in his hospital room," Shikamaru said, landing lightly next to his father. "He's awake by the way."

Shikaku said nothing to Shikamaru, knowing the boy would fill them in. He instead continued to observe the battle, and how one man had so far defeated three four-man teams of ANBU. Two shuriken pinned his cloak to the roof and he slipped out of it easily, continuing the fight in his Jounin gear.

"Naruto's condition started improving today," Shikamaru began. "He woke up about an hour ago, shouting his head off and looking for someone. Immediately after, wind blew the window open and that man . . . materialized. He and Kakashi almost started to fight, but I stopped them and Tsunade sent everyone but Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato and that guy out of the room."

Shikaku's insides twisted as the battle intensified, and a tight, small Rasengan began to form in the blond man's hand.

"What the hell?" Chouza shouted, catching up to his friends. "Is that Minato?"

* * *

"Obaa-san! Come on, wake up, you old hag!"

Naruto grabbed the unconscious Tsunade by the shoulders and shook her, remembering belatedly that moving someone wasn't a good idea when they had a head injury. He snatched a pillow from the overturned bed and placed it under her head, careful not to bump it again. Naruto dragged himself forward, clawing for the call button for the nurse and deciding the bed was evil.

First, he was stuck in it for over a month.

Second, that stupid wind jutsu of the old woman's had knocked it into Tsunade's head.

Third, it had landed _just _far enough away that he couldn't reach the call button easily.

Thankfully, the Bed of Darkness didn't prevail, as Sakura had come running to see that her mentor and teammate were alright. Naruto had every intention of complaining to Tsunade that all the other nurses were too busy watching the battle outside to tend to somebody injured.

"Sakura!" he cried, never quite so relieved to see the pink hair as right now. "Obaa-san's injured! The bed hit her in the head!"

Sakura stared in horror at the room for half a second before kneeling next to the Hokage's side. She carefully examined the woman and told Naruto, "Don't worry, it's a very mild concussion. She doesn't have any other injuries."

"Heal it! Heal it!" Naruto shouted. "She's the only one who can stop this!"

Sakura ignored him, having already started the medical jutsu. Her green hands rested on Tsunade's forehead, where a trickle of blood was coming down. The small cut and half-formed bruise disappeared quickly enough.

"When will she wake up?" Naruto demanded.

Tsunade groaned and put a hand to her head. "How can anyone be unconscious with you yelling in their ear, brat?"

Sakura helped her sit up slowly while Naruto fidgeted and barely restrained himself from yelling. "What's going on?"

"What's going on? Those two creepy old people told the ANBU to attack—"

"Minato!" she cried, the memory coming back.

Tsunade stumbled to her feet, brushing Sakura's warnings aside and climbed out the window, taking stock of the battle immediately. ANBU were sprawled all across the rooftops and streets, but from what she could tell, none were dead. Minato was picking them off with terrifying ease, using his Rasengan now to send them flying across the city.

_Damn. If he is an enemy, we're in a shit-ton of trouble. _

From the building next to the hospital, Koharu and Homura were watching with increasing horror and worry.

"You really think he is Namikaze Minato?" Koharu demanded of Tsunade.

"Yes," she answered, stopping desperately ordering the ANBU nearest her to stop their attack for a second.

"Well, we'll see if that's true or not," she decided. While Tsunade was getting the attention of more ANBU, and heading off the ones that came at the call for backup, Koharu headed back inside the room. She emerged from the hole in Naruto's hospital room with the blond himself in tow.

"Hey, hey! Lemme go, you old ugly woman! Ow!" Naruto shouted loudly.

Tsunade whipped her head around and her heart pounded in fear as the elderly Council member, who was a heck of a lot stronger than she looked, dragged Naruto up and supported him, as his legs still couldn't. Koharu clamped an arm under his chin and brought a kunai up to his exposed throat.

"Namikaze Minato!"

All battle ceased. The old woman could be commanding when she had to be.

Minato froze as she dug the kunai into Naruto's neck. The blond had stopped squirming when the metal had connected to his neck. Apparently all old women in Konoha were freakishly strong. The crowds were starting to whisper about the little brat.

"Put him down," Minato ordered.

"Koharu! This is the wrong move!" Tsunade shouted.

"I don't think so," Koharu shouted. "Lay down your weapons and surrender or I'll cut his throat open."

To prove her point, Koharu moved her kunai to the side a fraction of an inch. Naruto tensed as the metal cut into his skin. He felt the blood seep out of his cut and start to flow down his neck.

"Koharu!" Tsunade shouted. "Let him go!"

"Not until—"

"_Let my son go or I'll kill you!"_

The murmurs of the crowd instantly stopped, then started up again. Tsunade knew that by the time the sun set, the entirety of the village, and probably half of Suna, would 'know' that the Fourth Hokage had come back to life, that Naruto was his son, and probably something along the lines of a rebel organization headed by said Hokage was going to take down all the villages starting with Konoha, but there was a more immediate matter than the impossible spread of Ninja Rumor and that was the killer intent that Minato was flooding the area with and the yellow-sealed kunai he was clutching in his hand.

"If you want to save _your son_, drop the kunai!"

A second passed where Tsunade thought he actually might give in, where the worst possible outcome she was forseeing would not come to pass.

She should have known better.

Koharu got the proof she needed that this man was in fact the Yellow Flash when he appeared behind her, having thrown the specialty kunai. He moved immediately, grabbing her arm and jamming a kunai into the base of her neck. She was dead before she could blink. Her head fell forward, hitting the back of Naruto's. The blond shuddered—he could feel the instant her heart stopped beating.

Tsunade sprinted across the rooftops and got to Minato before the ANBU could. She waved them off, ordering the soldiers to stay back. Minato let go of the kunai and her arm and Koharu's body slumped to the ground. Naruto would have followed, but his father snagged him around the waist and pulled the shaken teenager away from her body.

"Minato," Tsunade said slowly. "Minato, listen to me. The ANBU are going to take you away."

"Naruto's hurt!" he cried, wiping at the blood on Naruto's neck. "Naruto—he's bleeding! Please, Tsunade!"

Naruto tried to respond, but Koharu's arm had been pressing on his windpipe and he just started coughing.

Behind Minato's back, Tsunade motioned to Sakura to get her a sedative—just in case. She hoped she wouldn't have to use it, but considering how the rest of her hopes had gone that day, she had a sinking feeling she'd need it.

"I'll take care of him," she soothed, rubbing her hand on Minato's shoulder, gently putting calming, healing chakra into the man. Her other hand started to glow green and she brought it up to Naruto's neck. "There, see?"

"What if he's hurt somewhere else?" Minato demanded as the cut on Naruto's neck vanished. "What else did she do to him?"

"Tsunade!" Homura snapped, coming over to them. Minato stiffened and shifted into a protective position over Naruto, so that the younger blond was completely covered.

"Please not—"

"This man killed a citizen, former ninja, and council member of Konoha!" Homura raged, indicating the prone form of Koharu. "I don't care if he is the Fourth, that is a _crime!"_

"Do you really want to risk upsetting him even more?" Tsunade demanded. "Now, shut the hell up, get back, and let me calm him down!"

Homura glared at her, but took a glance at the hostile Minato and stepped back. Tsunade turned back to him, keeping a hand on his shoulder.

"Mina-chan, look at me."

He tore his eyes away from the threat to meet hers.

"Do you trust me?" she asked, meeting his eyes directly.

Minato nodded. "Of course."

"Okay, then you need to let me take Naruto," she said.

The relaxation she had been pumping into him was suddenly forced out at the thought of being separated from his son. Tsunade kept a kind smile on her face, knowing now that she'd have to knock him out. As much as she loathed it, certain procedures had to be followed and Minato had taken out nearly twenty ANBU and killed a prominent member of society. He had to be given a trial, as well having his identity verified, and until then, since he was clearly dangerous, he'd have to be locked up.

"Okay, never mind, never mind," she said softly, gently putting more calming chakra back into him. "He'll stay with you. Shhh. He'll be okay. There, relax."

Her hand slowly crept up his arm until it was at his shoulder, at which point she jammed a pressure point in his neck. The Fourth slumped forward, unconscious.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?!" Naruto shouted as his father lay sprawled over him. "What's going on?

Tsunade made a motion with her hand, and the ANBU came and carted him away. Kakashi followed, ensuring that he wouldn't be mistreated or locked up improperly. Yamato and Sakura hurried forward and helped Naruto up.

"Take him to a new room," Tsunade ordered wearily.

"Wait!" Naruto shouted, struggling against their hold. "Where are they taking him? What's going on? Why'd you do that?"

"I'll explain, Naruto," Yamato assured him. "Tsunade needs to take care of some things now."

With that, Yamato and Sakura carried a pissed off Naruto into the hospital. Tsunade forced herself to block out his angry cries and accusations. She ordered for him to be sedated, and that whoever did should tell the Kyuubi not to neutralize the sedative. _Ha. Like that'll work. Kyuubi is Hideharu, Minato's friend. He's probably even more angry than Naruto right now . . . so why isn't he bursting out of his cage?_

Tsunade didn't have time to ponder it, as Homura dragged her away for an emergency council meeting. She braced herself for a long, stressful evening that would not end well in any way, shape or form.

* * *

Hinata jumped up to the roof and made her way to the Hokage's cloak pinned to it. She carefully pulled the shuriken out and picked up the red and white cloak. It was folded with care and clutched in her arms as the young girl made her way to the hospital.

Her Byakugan activated, Hinata scanned the hospital and found Naruto, in a secure room, surrounded by guards. She took a deep breath and hurried to his room, smiling at the guards as they opened the door. Yamato and Sakura had already left, according to them, one to check on Kakashi and the Fourth, and Sakura to keep an eye on Tsunade.

The sedatives had already started to kick in, and Naruto was complaining about his father, his words slow and slurred. Hinata wanted to say something to him, to comfort him, but she settled for sitting down next to him. She unfolded the Hokage's robe and found the two punctures in it. Her fingers poked through them and she frowned. That wouldn't do.

Fifteen careful minutes later, the holes were repaired, with white thread. Hinata smiled and ran her fingers over them. Satisfied, she spread the robes over Naruto like one would cover him with a blanket. The restless boy calmed down after a minute, shifting under the cloak. In moments, he'd fully succumbed to the sedatives.

Hinata's smile widened and she poked her fingers together, wishing she could be that bold when he was awake.

_Maybe . . . someday. _

With that comforting thought, she turned around and scurried out the door. Her father, or at least Neji, would probably be worried that she wasn't home yet, especially with all of the turmoil in the village tonight.

"G-goodnight, Naruto," she murmured, closing the door.

* * *

--

* * *

So, that's it. Yes, Koharu is dead. She always seemed like the more aggressive one of the Two Evils to me.

A lot of you were asking for Hinata, wondering why she hadn't shown up, so I decided to throw her in. As for the sewing, she seems like the type to do that kind of thing. Where she got the needle and thread is anybody's guess. I don't feel like coming up with an explanation for that.

Good night!


	21. Chapter 17

Okay, before we get to the story, I have a few things to say.

Because of how nutty people on this site get about pairings, rest assured I will not spring any on you. Any non-canon pairings will be stated before the story starts, because I _do not _want to hear 'your story is great, but I hate the pairing' as I did about ten times from the last chapter (even though there was no pairing, and you had to squint really, really hard to see one). Translation: you will see MinatoxKushina, AsumaxKurenai, and (mild spoiler) potential JiraiyaxTsunade. If you've read far enough, you'll see that Tsunade says she'll give Jiraiya a chance if he comes back.

Now, Naruto is going through enough. He does not need a romance, nor could he handle one right now. I was toying with it at the beginning, but have since decided for the above reasons against a pairing. Maybe later in the story, like part 3, but this story, as I have said, is about Naruto's relationship with his family.

Now, about Hinata. Whether you hate or love her, she'll be in the story. _Not as a love interest! _So, relax. She was there for the encounter with Kabuto and the fight with Madara. She has to be in the story. No way around it. I am trying to balance canon and AU, but I will keep people in character and that was very Hinata: sweet, shy and rather stalkerish.

Finally, you all missed the point of that scene. Did anyone notice that Naruto calmed down when his father's robes were placed over him? Bueller? Anyone?

As for the most recent Naruto chapters: I am taking everything Madara says with a grain of salt. And if it is true, well, I'll ignore whatever doesn't fit. I've come too far.

Chapter 17

_Kyuubi sighed and picked at his nails as Naruto stormed and raged inarticulately outside his cell. The kit would come up and shake the bars, shouting and roaring at Kyuubi. None of it was full words—he'd start to say something, but get distracted and go off on something else. Then one point would get him so upset, he'd run off and pound on the walls for a while, or shoot Kyuubi a dirty look and storm off into the other parts of his mind._

_This had been going on for a while. Kyuubi knew why the kit was mad with him and didn't care. Tsunade had asked him not to neutralize the tranquilizers she'd put in Naruto's system and Kyuubi was complying, actually slightly slowing down Naruto's metabolism. He needed time to calm down and understand what was going on. _

_Eventually, he stomped back into the chamber and right up to the bars. "Stupid fox!"_

"_Any particular complaint?" Kyuubi asked, leaning against the bars of his cage. His goddamned cage. He had had a few brief moments of freedom in the Shinigami's stomach, but now he was back behind the bars. It was frustrating._

"_Why didn't you help me?" Naruto demanded. "I kept telling you to give me chakra, but did you?"_

"_No," Kyuubi answered. _

"_NO!" Naruto confirmed, tugging uselessly at the bars in anger. "I was useless and helpless when the ugly old hag threatened me and the ANBU were attacking my dad and—"_

"_And popping up, sporting red demonic chakra was just the way to diffuse the situation," Kyuubi snapped back. "Why would I want to make things worse for you?"_

_Naruto snarled at Kyuubi. "Then at least get these stupid sedatives out of me!"_

"_Why? So you can storm off to the Hokage's office and make matters worse?" Kyuubi demanded. "Your dad's in enough trouble as it is."_

"_Yeah! And doing nothing is the best way to help him! They're taking him to prison, they might kill him! We have to help him and we can't do that if you're being a dick!"_

_Kyuubi narrowed his eyes and stepped back from the bars, ignoring Naruto's shouts and insults. The blond was furious, calling the demon everything from a meanie to a bastard. It was time to put him in his place. Kyuubi closed his eyes and resumed his usual form: the full, nine-tailed fox, hundreds of feet tall, filling up his cage to its fullest extent. Standing in front of the bars, now impossibly miniscule, Naruto frowned, sensing some kind of change. _

_Kyuubi roared from the darkness as a warning, and Naruto leaped back just as the fox rushed forward, claws extending through the bars. He brought his snout close to the bars and gazed down at the startled human scornfully. _

"_I may have appeared as a human in the Shinigami's stomach, and I may not be completely evil," he growled. _

"_But never, _never _forget that I am not human. _I _am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the greatest of the tailed beasts, and no mere _human _has earned the right to speak to me like that!"_

_For half a second, it appeared that he'd gotten through to Naruto, as the blond just stared up at him. Kyuubi wanted to preen on the fact that he'd stunned the blond into silence, but he knew better. Naruto would get over this 'weakness' he saw in himself, this fear, and be the loud, brash, annoying kid he'd been when they first spoke. _

_Kyuubi resisted the urge to sigh as Naruto's blue eyes snapped open, full of fire. Such stubbornness was good in some cases, but really, at some point the brat would have to learn respect. _

"_Yeah, oh great and powerful demon?" Naruto shouted. "Who's stuck in the cage?"_

_Kyuubi bristled and growled at the insults, his tails whipping around behind him in agitation. "Be careful, kit . . ."_

"_Or what? You'll hurt me? You can't! This seal prevents it!"_

"_This seal has been weakening for years, kit! Take a good look—it's worn and frayed around the edges!" Kyuubi laughed at the uncomfortable look on Naruto's face. "What? You didn't notice? Before this incident, it was getting easier and easier to mess with you."_

"_You would do that now?" Naruto demanded, covering up the hurt with rage. "You said it: you're my godfather! You're supposed to be protecting me!"_

_Kyuubi snorted. "I have protected you, kit. I've healed your cuts and scrapes, saved your life, gave you chakra when you wanted it. Hell, I've even preserved your sanity, though it cost me dearly."_

_Naruto stopped short and narrowed his eyes. "My sanity? What the hell does that mean? I don't remember ever going nuts."_

_The demon threw his great head back and laughed. "Oh, kit. Little, _innocent, _kit. That is the point."_

* * *

Tsunade closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. Not for the first time, she cursed her grandfather for setting up the council. Of course, it was the only way to get the great clans of the time to join Konoha, rather than remain rogue. Aburame, Akimichi, Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Mitokado, Morino, Nara, Sarutobi, Senju, Uchiha, Ukatane and Yamanaka. Twelve of the greatest ninja clans of sixty years ago. Plus the Hokage and the leader of the ANBU.

Of course, no one had sat in the Uchiha seat for nearly ten years. The Sarutobi seat was taken by Yuhi Kurenai until Konohamaru was of age. The Senju seat would have been Tsunade's but she was Hokage, so a distant relative filled in—Senju Naari. And the Ukatane seat was empty. The others were filled by 

Aburame Shibi, Akimichi Chouza, Hyuuga Hiashi, Mitokado Homura, Inuzuka Tsume, Morino Ibiki, Nara Shikaku, and Yamanaka Inoichi.

Eleven different people, most with vastly varying viewpoints and opinions. Which led to her current issue.

_For the love of, hell, everything, I really want a drink! _Unfortunately, it was a closed council session, which meant that no one could be allowed in unless bringing urgent news, or out unless dying, until it was over.

With an effort, Tsunade refocused on the arguments taking place in the room.

"I don't care who he is," Homura raged. "He committed a crime against Konoha! He has killed a member of the council!"

"Who was threatening a ninja and citizen of Konoha," Kurenai argued back. "Koharu's crime must also be taken into account. As Hokage, he had every right to take immediate—"

"What proof do we have that this _murderer _is really Namikaze Minato?" Homura demanded.

Shikaku sighed and answered. "He used Rasengan, which is an incredibly difficult jutsu to master. To date, there are only four known ninjas who can. Secondly, he performed Hiraishin. That jutsu is the product of a kekkai genkai. It cannot be copied."

"It is possible that he is a physical copy of Namikaze," Shibi offered. "It is well-known in this room that Orochimaru can temporarily revive the dead."

While the council was going off on the rabbit trail of Orochimaru's possible involvement, despite his confirmed death at the hands of Uchiha Sasuke, Ibiki leaned over to Tsunade.

"I put him in ANBU headquarters," he reported. "One of our specialists sealed his chakra, and he is in a room that no kunai can get through. He's being kept on sedatives for the time being and guarded around the clock."

"What of the men he fought?" Tsunade asked.

"All are alive, though most are severely injured. You should know," he murmured. "With the high guards around Namikaze and Uchiha, and the men in the hospital, only forty percent of ANBU is free to fight in case of an attack."

Another spike stabbed into Tsunade's head, worsening her migraine. "How many of them are suspected ROOT members?"

Ibiki hesitated. "About sixty percent."

_Shit. We need to reduce the guard on either Minato or Sasuke. _Tsunade stood and slammed a hand down on the table, sending shivers down it and silencing the council members, if only for the moment. Homura opened his mouth as if to say something, but Tsunade cut him off.

"This arguing is _pointless!" _she snapped, looking all of them over. "We are going in circles and nothing will get accomplished. Before determining the punishment for killing Koharu, we must confirm this man's identity—one way or the other."

"And how do you suggest we accomplish that?" Homura demanded.

"I have already sent for DNA tests on him," Tsunade responded. "If the Hyuugas agree, a chakra test can be performed on him."

Homura and Danzou frowned deeply as the rest of the council seemed to nod in agreement. "Yes, but that only deals with the physical aspect of his identity. Even if he is proved to by physically identical to Namikaze Minato, that means nothing. He could be under someone's control, as we just discussed, or he could be the result of a variation of Orochimaru's immortality jutsu."

"There are psychological tests we will perform," Ibiki added. "As well as jutsus to determine mind control."

"Between the Hyuugas, Morino Ibiki, and the Yamanakas, we will ascertain who is being guarded in ANBU headquarters and deal with him accordingly," Tsunade said firmly. "Now, the next issue—"

"And what of how he came here?" Danzou demanded. Several other members nodded.

"That is tied into the next issue," Tsunade said, taking a deep breath to keep her temper under control. "As all of you know, Uzumaki Naruto has come out of his inexplicable coma."

Homura sneered. "Yes, and as usual, all this trouble relates back to _him._ I have a feeling that if he weren't here, half our problems would be gone."

"Akatsuki, for one," Danzou said. Shibi and Naari both seemed to perk up at that.

Shikaku sighed again and decided to say something. "There are two ways of getting rid of Naruto. One: exile him. In that case, he would have no protection from Akatsuki and they would achieve their ultimate objective. Two: kill him. If we order his execution, we would lose the power of the Nine-tails, which is the only thing that can possibly combat the other eight tailed beasts."

Tsunade said a silent prayer of thanks that the Naras were on Naruto's side _and _could argue his case with impeccable logic.

"It is true that Namikaze Minato's appearance is connected to Uzumaki Naruto's coma," Tsunade said, desperately trying to steer the conversation away from the let's-kill-Naruto direction. "There were several witnesses to this event and I propose that a hearing be set up to deal with this whole matter."

There were several moments of silence, followed by Hiashi seconding the motion. It was passed by a unanimous vote and Tsunade again thanked whoever was in charge that it was tabled for now.

"The second problem facing us is that of Uchiha Sasuke," she said, sitting back down. "Evidence has come to light that he is responsible for the coma that Yamanaka Ino is currently in."

The members of the Ino-Shika-Cho team sat up a bit straighter at that. Tsunade continued, "Yuhi Kurenai. Report on your findings."

The members of the council turned to face the pregnant Jounin, who stood and faced the table with her trademark calm.

"Earlier today, at Tsunade's request, I examined both Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino for signs of Sharingan genjutsu. None were found in Uzumaki's psyche or chakra, but Yamanaka Ino showed clear manipulation by the Sharingan."

Inoichi's fist clenched and he made to rise, but Shikaku laid a hand on his arm. Danzou didn't have a comrade to stop him and the injured man stood slowly.

"What, exactly, gives you expertise on Sharingan genjutsus?" he wondered, piercing her with his single good eye.

Kurenai swallowed before continuing. "Members of my clan have been genjutsu experts since Konoha's founding. I have been trained to recognize the alterations of the chakra patterns associated with advanced genjutsu. I have also been subject to a Sharingan genjutsu, three years ago, when Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame came to Konoha in search of Uzumaki Naruto."

"You mean the Kyuubi," Homura interrupted. "Which brings us to another point."

"That will have to be dealt with later," Tsunade interrupted, her teeth grinding despite her best effort. "The charges have been leveled that Uchiha Sasuke put Yamanaka Ino under a severe genjutsu. This brings his total of active attacks against Konoha to five."

"What five incidents are you speaking of, Hokage-sama?" Shibi asked, adjusting his sunglasses.

Tsunade straightened. "There was the physical assault on Uzumaki Naruto at the valley of the end, and he caused bodily harm to Yamato, Sai and Naruto on their recent mission to intercept Orochimaru's spy. The attack on Yamanaka Ino makes five. These are in addition to the charges of being a missing nin and associating with a known enemy of Konoha."

The room was silent. Finally, Hyuuga Hiashi spoke up. "I propose that this also be left to a public trial."

"I decline that," Danzou said. "The Uchiha's betrayal was kept a private matter, its resolution should also be private."

Naari nodded. "I agree. The Uchihas were an important clan to the citizens of Konoha. They must be allowed to keep hope that they will be revived. Should we decide upon execution, we can do it privately and the public will not need to know."

"I do not agree with lying to the people of this village," Tsunade protested.

"But sometimes, it must be done," Naari said. "The Uchiha clan, though prideful and arrogant, were a source of protection and thus very popular in Konoha. Their loss was a great blow to the strength and morale of the people."

Tsunade's shoulders tightened as others voiced their agreement. Finally, it was Ibiki who put the nail in the coffin.

"After the attack, the general populace held great sympathy to Sasuke. Many of these _civilians _would not understand that no matter how traumatized he had been, the boy was still a ninja and chose to go to Orochimaru. They would be outraged at our 'harsh' treatment of him," Ibiki said.

The other council members nodded. Defeated, Tsunade sat back down and prepared to decide the fate of Uchiha Sasuke.

"The charges against one Uchiha Sasuke are as follows," Tsunade read. "Five separate attacks against Konoha ninjas, abandonment of his village, and association with an S-rank criminal and personal enemy of Konoha."

"The last two amount to high treason," Danzou said, having sat back down. "Those alone are enough to sentence him to death."

Homura nodded. "I agree. All in favor of the execution of Uchiha Sasuke for crimes of high treason."

"Wait a minute," Chouza said. "This is a big thing—executing a ninja!"

"I don't hear you making the same protests for all missing-nins, Akimichi," Tsume snapped, baring her teeth. "We send out Hunter nins all the time, where is your defense there."

"Yeah, well—I—" Chouza sputtered.

"I think that it should also be taken into account his murder of amissing-nin, specifically the one he is accused of associating with," Shibi said. "It is obvious that he held no loyalty to Orochimaru."

A murmur ran through the council at this. Inoichi spoke up angrily, pointing out that meant he would probably hold no loyalty to Konoha. There was talk about ways to secure his allegiance until Homura again brought up his severe crimes. "So he killed Orochimaru! That doesn't negate the fact—"

"Doesn't it?" Naari said. "He did Konoha a great service, which I think should count in his favor."

"If we are going to compare Sasuke's pros and cons, it must be taken into account why he left Konoha," Kurenai added. "Which was for the explicit reason to get stronger and kill Uchiha Itachi, another S-rank missing nin and the murderer of the majority of the Uchiha clan."

"Hell, the kid's screwed in the head, too. His family got killed by his older brother and what did the village do for him?" Tsume demanded. "We did _nothing._ The pup lost his whole pack and we didn't provide him with hardly any support. Can we really blame him for being a few kunais short of a set?"

The debate raged on, and slowly Sasuke's cause won support, though Tsunade somehow doubted that he would want it.

"There is one other reason for him to stay in Konoha," Ibiki mentioned. "He is one of the few Uchihas who has the power to suppress the Kyuubi no Kitsune. If you all are worried about the demon taking over Uzumaki, placing Uchiha with him would be a way to ensure Kyuubi's containment."

"That is only assuming that he agrees to it," Homura argued. "What's to say he will?"

"That or death," Hiashi proposed. "It is his desire to kill his brother and resurrect his clan. He cannot do that if he is dead."

"And what of his crimes?" Inoichi demanded. "He attacked Konoha ninjas."

"He should be put under constant guard and given into the care of a Konoha family," Tsume answered. "As well as brain treatment," she finished, waving her hand by her head.

"In addition, he should be stripped of all ninja ranking—" Chouza added.

"How can he control Kyuubi on missions if he isn't a ninja?" Naari demanded. "No, he should be prevented from taking the Chuunin exams for a period of two years, as well as the punishments Tsume described."

"_My daughter _is lying in a hospital bed, unresponsive!" Inoichi roared. "Constant guard and no promotion? That's a slap on the wrist!"

"I agree," Shikaku added. "His punishment must be more severe than that."

"What is your suggestion, Nara?" Hiashi asked.

"For the next six months, whenever he is not on a mission—which he will only go on with Uzumaki—Uchiha should be kept in prison, chakra sealed, unable to train or study in anyway. For six months after that, he will be kept under house arrest with his caretakers, with the same conditions," Shikaku said, steepling his fingers. "In addition, when he is on missions, to prevent any escape attempt or attack on a Konoha ninja, the Yamanakas will place a mental seal on him. Should he harm, or have the intent to harm, anyone who is considered an ally or should he go too far from Uzumaki he will suffer severe, debilitating pain."

"Also," Shikaku continued. "He will be required to give a full report on all information he has on Orochimaru, his hideouts, his projects, his allies, his future plans and his forbidden jutsus. Finally, for a period of two years after his release from house arrest, he will be under probation, unable to take the Chuunin exams, and have to perform community service."

The council thought on this for a little while. Homura and Danzou were clearly unhappy with any arrangement except execution, but it took a three-fourths vote of the council or the Hokage's order to execute a Konoha ninja. By the looks of it, it was two against nine, which was nowhere near a three-fourths vote.

Tsunade sighed heavily. Uchiha was not her favorite person, but having him killed would be a devastating blow to Naruto. Being unable to train would be a hard pill to swallow, but Sasuke had committed crimes against Konoha. She wasn't completely happy with it. Half of the people there only wanted Sasuke's life spared because the Sharingan would be a great asset to Konoha in a time of war.

_Goddamned politics. I know how this is going. We might as well get it over with. _

"I put it to a vote," Tsunade said. "Uchiha Sasuke will be pardoned for association with Orochimaru and abandonment of his village, provided that he swears fealty to said village and surrenders all his information on Orochimaru's operations. For his attacks on Konoha ninjas, he will serve six months of prison and six months of house arrest, with the conditions stated, and two years of probation, again with the previously stated conditions. All in favor?"

Tsunade, Naari, Kurenai, Ibiki, Hiashi, Tsume, Shikaku, and Chouza raised their hands.

"All against?" Tsunade asked.

Danzou, Homura, and Inoichi raised their hands.

"By a vote of eight to three, the judgment has been passed on Uchiha Sasuke," she declared. "He will be subject to the above terms unless such a situation arises that his case can be reviewed. This has been passed by the council of Konoha."

Tsunade stood, signifying the end of the meeting. She walked out, followed quickly by most of the members. It was left with just Danzou and Homura.

"This is unacceptable," Danzou said. "An Uchiha as powerful as Sasuke is too dangerous in Konoha. Especially with these restrictions, he will follow in his father's footsteps."

"I know," Homura said. "But he'll be in prison for the next six months. His chakra will be sealed. All we have to do is rotate ROOT members in. He won't be a problem."

* * *

--

* * *

Dun dun dun!

I know, some of you will think I'm being too hard, some of you will think I'm being too soft with Sasuke and most of you will probably be annoyed we didn't see any Minato in this. He's still knocked out, so it would have been a very boring scene.

I have some meaty stuff planned for next chapter. Thank you for reading!


	22. Chapter 18

So, so, so sorry it wasn't up yesterday. I finished it about 10:30 pm, went to upload and got the message "Login/submission area is temporarily down." Or something like that. I waited until midnight, but then I had to go to bed. Sorry! Sorry! Plz to forgive?

So, not much time for an AN today, gotta get to class. Lots goes on in this chapter, plot progression, another mystery/clue pops up, and emotional turmoil, oh my!

Be forewarned: it ends in a big-time cliffie. :P But since its out late, you won't have to wait as long, right? (My roommate has insisted I say that if any of you hunt me down to kill me, she was not involved in this and she sleeps on the right side of the room.)

Chapter 18

Tsunade took a deep breath and rolled over, glaring at her calendar.

June 1.

The day of Minato's hearing.

She rubbed at her eyes and considered the possible methods to disguise the dark circles under them. Makeup was always a good one, henge another. She toyed with the idea of strengthening her usual anti-aging jutsu, but that would only make her look younger, not erase signs of sleeplessness or stress.

"Makeup it is. Can't appear too weak today. Kami I hope Minato keeps it together," she muttered, throwing the sheets off and rolling over. Her visit with the incarcerated Minato came unbidden to her mind.

"_LET ME OUT!"_

"_Minato, you need to calm down," Tsunade said slowly through the heavy wooden door. She started as the door shook violently in its frame; he had thrown himself against it in an attempt to break it down. It shuddered again as he repeated the process, continuing to howl and roar. _

"_Minato—"_

"_I can't stay in here!" he shouted through door. "Let me out!"_

"_Mina-chan, liste—"_

"_NO! It's too cramped in here! I can't fight! I can't hide or fight or run! They'll find me! THEY'LL FIND ME!"_

_He rammed the door again and Tsunade heard something crack. "Minato! There are guards out here! ANBU! They will protect you! Calm down!"_

_Minato's only response was frustrated noise somewhere between a snarl and a moan. She heard a softer thump and recognized the sound of his head hitting the door. _

"_Minato, you are safe—"_

"'_Scold," he moaned. "Cold and dark and too quiet! I can't—can't—"_

"_Yes, yes you can," Tsunade said calmly, resisting the urge to beat some sense into his blond head. It worked well with his son, but the elder Namikaze was a _very _different person. "You will be alright. You need to listen to me, okay?"_

"_My chakra—my chakra's gone," he said through the door. "My chakra . . ."_

"_We sealed it, Minato," Tsunade said, grateful he was calming down, or at least not risking injury by assaulting the wooden door. "Until your hearing."_

"_Hearing? What? Why?" _

"_Because you came back to life," Tsunade said. "We need to figure out what do with you."_

"_No . . ." he muttered. "No, there's something else. What else, 'Nade? What did I do?"_

_Tsunade hesitated. She had avoided mentioning the incident with Koharu for fear that he would get worked up again. "You killed someone, Minato."_

"_Who?" he demanded. "An enemy? Why am I in here if I killed an enemy? That's not a crime! Who?"_

"_It doesn't matter, Minato," Tsunade hedged. "You need to have a hearing. It's in three days. When it's time, the ANBU will escort you there."_

"_ANBU . . ." he trailed off. "I was fighting them . . . wasn't I . . . did I kill—no, no, none of them. Who . . ."_

_Tsunade glanced at the ANBU next to her and opened her mouth to steer him away from the killing. _

"KOHARU!"

"_Shit! Minato, your hearing is—"_

"_That _bitch! _She threatened Naruto! Where is he? Is he alright? Tell me! I have to get to him! What Koharu does, Homura does! He's in danger!"_

_Tsunade rubbed her forehead as Minato continued to rant and rave in his cell. He was focused on Naruto now, and she suspected nothing save the boy himself would be able to calm him. She stepped back and turned to the ANBU guarding him. _

"_Sprinkle this over his food," she ordered, pressing a small vial of sedatives into his hand. "It'll knock him out."_

"_Aye, Hokage-sama."_

_With that, Tsunade turned and walked down the dark stone hall, away from the once-proud Hokage._

* * *

"I hope he's not expecting to get a fair judgment from the council," Inoichi muttered. "Uchiha certainly didn't."

Shikaku didn't respond to his friend's angry mutterings; they had been almost continuous since the meeting about Sasuke—three days ago. Ino's condition and total lack of improvement had also not helped his peace of mind. Several times the man had insisted on trying to break the genjutsu himself, but nurses and experts had prevented him from doing so, saying that it was too dangerous and he could get caught himself. They had mandated that if he was in the room, so was someone else.

Which was why Shikaku was here, instead of relaxing before what was sure to be the hearing of the century.

"No, he'll probably get a nice, light sentence instead of what he deserves," Inoichi snarled.

"Don't blame Minato for the council's weaknesses," Shikaku said.

"_Weaknesses?" _Inoichi shouted. "Is that what you call it? The council is supposed to promote justice in Konoha."

"No," Shikaku sighed. "No, the council was created to protect Konoha."

"Yes, and as a traitor, he should have been killed! Desertion is unacceptable in a military, in Konoha," Inoichi snarled. "But apparently not if you're an Uchiha."

"No, Uchihas do have it special," Shikaku agreed. "Do you know how Orochimaru's attack would have gone three years ago if the Uchiha clan was alive?"

Inoichi shot his friend a glare and stomped over to the window. "Yeah—it wouldn't have."

"Exactly. As unfair as it is, Sasuke has things Konoha needs. The Sharingan is an incredibly useful tool, and only one other person in the world has it—Itachi. If Akatsuki were to attack, only Sasuke and Kakashi would even have a chance against him, and then probably only if they were to work together. He also has the ability to reign in the Kyuubi, should the Fourth's seal break. Did you really expect the council to sentence an asset like that to death?"

Inoichi grumbled and sat down next to him. "I don't know. These are people we know—we fought alongside. I thought I knew them."

"You do—as ninjas, but not as council members. Hyuuga, Senju, Morino, and Aburame are all practical and interested in the safety of the village. Tsume and Kurenai are too compassionate toward him, and you know how Chouza is. You know Tsunade wouldn't kill Uchiha—doing that would hurt Naruto too much, and she wouldn't risk it," Shikaku explained, watching a cloud morph from a blob to a bunny.

"And you are one of the practical ones," Inoichi agreed with a resigned sigh. "It still makes me sick."

Shikaku stood slowly and stretched, feeling his joints crack pleasantly. "Yeah, just wait until Naruto's the Hokage. From what Shikamaru tells me, he's already aiming to 'fix' the Hyuuga branch family system. Maybe you can get him on your side about the council, too."

"Huh. What makes you so sure the kid's going to make it?" Inoichi asked as they started to leave. "Ino's told me his skull's pretty thick."

"He's Minato and Kushina's kid," Shikaku responded with a wry smile. "Put their stubbornness together and do you think he'll _not _make it?"

The two Jounin and council members exited the building. Inoichi was upset but no longer fuming over the council's decision and Shikaku was wondering about the two people whose decisions didn't make sense to him.

Danzou and Homura were always interested in promoting the strength of Konoha. Yet they had been the most outspoken against giving Uchiha any clemency. One would think they would want the power of the Sharingan, and a ninja as talented as Sasuke.

Shikaku's eyes narrowed. Those two worked as he did: cost-benefit analysis. They must have decided that the risks of Sasuke continuing to live outweighed the benefits of his strength. The man devoted part of his brain to puzzling that out while he and Inoichi prepared for Minato's trial.

* * *

Naruto followed the guard down the hall. He was _finally _getting to see Sasuke. After signing multiple documents, undergoing a full-body search to determine if he was carrying any weapons, and being threatened numerous times that if he tried to orchestrate a jailbreak, he would be summarily hurt, maimed and/or killed.

Naruto made a face at all the regulations—did Sasuke really need that?

At last, they turned a corner and stopped in front of a cell. Naruto turned and saw Sasuke, standing at attention directly in the center of the cell. The guard stepped back and Naruto waited. Seconds ticked by and the blond became increasingly frustrated at the guard, who was just standing there. Sasuke on the other hand became ever more annoyed at the silent Naruto.

Just as Naruto was about to yell at the guard, Sasuke snapped, "Did you come down here to stare, idiot?"

"No," Naruto snarled back. "I came down here to talk, but the guard's being stupid. Why isn't he letting you out so you can talk?"

" . . . I'm in prison, moron."

"Yeah, but why can't you come out if you're guarded?" Naruto asked, frowning.

"You're an idiot."

Naruto scowled at his former friend and eternal enemy. "What does that mean?"

"Do you not know what prison means, Uzumaki?" Sasuke asked. "It means I stand here, right here, at attention, from 6 AM to 9 PM. I am allowed to move and stretch five minutes out of every hour, and sit when I eat—which is three times a day. I am taken to the showers at 6:30 AM every morning. From 9 PM to 6 AM, I am in the bunk. Unless I have a visitor, I am not allowed to talk. Unless you go on a mission, I am not allowed out of the prison," Sasuke finished. "This is my condition for the next six months."

Naruto stared blankly at Sasuke. "Why when I go on missions?"

Sasuke stared to the left of Naruto's ear. The only indication of his annoyance was the tiniest twitch of an eyebrow. "Because I can suppress the Kyuubi. When you go, I will go to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't lose control."

"But, how are you supposed to fight if you can't train in here?" Naruto wondered.

"I'm not there to fight. I just said it," Sasuke snapped. Naruto frowned, knowing he had hit a sore spot. "My sole purpose is to prevent the Kyuubi's escape. I cannot leave your side, nor can I harm or intend to harm any member of Konoha without suffering intense pain."

"But what happens after—"

"Did you come here to talk about my sentence, moron?" Sasuke interrupted. "Or just stare at me like the window-licker you are?"

Naruto bristled. "Window-licker?"

"Or are you looking for distraction from the _family _troubles you are currently having?"

"How do you know that?" Naruto demanded.

Sasuke snorted. "I have good hearing."

"Yeah, right!" Naruto shouted, getting close up to the bars. "Don't lie to me!"

Sasuke smirked. "How do you know I'm lying? You wouldn't be able to detect a lie if it slapped you in the face."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "Maybe you're not as good a liar as you think. I know you actually cared for team seven when we were genin."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I never said I didn't. I said those bonds were a liability, and that I had to sever them."

"Why?" Naruto asked. "Why did you have to?"

"I needed power," Sasuke said, as if explaining it to a very small, stupid child. "And to get that power, I had to go to Orochimaru. You were trying to stop me."

"You were—"

"Have you ever considered the fact that you left as well, Naruto?" Sasuke suddenly said. "You left Konoha to get more power."

Naruto stared at Sasuke through the bars. "Yeah, so?"

"How can you condemn me for leaving when you did the same thing?" Sasuke asked, his dark eyes focusing on Naruto for the first time since he entered. "Why do you fight so hard to bring me back when you left this village you love so much?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It wasn't the fact that you left Konoha. It was the fact that you left _us. _Team 7. You, me, Sakura, Kakashi. I . . . I thought we were a family, but you threw that away for power. That's what I was trying to stop. And the fact that Orochimaru was going to _kill _you, dickhead."

"So, the main reason wasn't for me. It was to protect yourself, to protect the bonds you'd created," Sasuke reasoned. He smirked. "The first ones you'd really had, right?"

Naruto scowled. "Do you not understand the concept of a family? You try to protect the people you love because—"

"You hurt when they hurt, right?" Sasuke asked. "Again, trying to protect yourself. And did that hallucination of a family teach you that?"

"Don't even—"

"You can't seem to hold onto a real family, can you, Naruto?" Sasuke demanded, tilting his head up so that he was looking down his nose at Naruto. "First you try to create a family out of team seven, then you try with people that don't even exist. You are pathetic."

Naruto clenched his fists, his rage building. "I'm pathetic? Do you know whose fault it is that you don't have a family right now?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed fractionally. "Don't go there."

"_You _are, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, stepping up and wrapping his fingers around the bars.

The dark eyes changed at that. They changed from confident and assured to enraged in an instant. "Naruto—" he growled.

"_By the gods you are stupid!" _Naruto roared. "Yeah, it's Itachi's fault you lost your clan when you were seven, but it's yours you don't have one now!"

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Sasuke snapped. His hands were tensed and his jaw was clenched. In a normal situation, the avenger would have attacked Naruto by now for the sole purpose of shutting him up, but the bars, guards and seals on him prevented that.

Naruto took full advantage. "At the Valley of the End! I said, you were like a brother, you were part of a family! Remember? And what did you do? You tried to kill me! You could be a part of a family right now! And it's your fault your not!"

Sasuke sneered. "Is that all? I understood your offer, Naruto. It clearly never occurred to you that I simply didn't _want _a family."

"Why wouldn't you want a family?" Naruto wondered. "Why? We may not have been your first family, but that's no reason to reject us—me. Why would you?"

"Ask yourself the same question."

The statement brought Naruto up short. "Huh? What are you talking about? I've never—"

"From what I hear, you are," Sasuke contradicted. "You lost a family in that dream world you were in. Now, you have a father—one who loves you as much as the other. Yet, you reject him. You refuse to acknowledge him as your father, your family."

Silence reigned. Sasuke fought down a smirk as his words hit home with Naruto, who was staring blankly into the middle distance. The blue eyes turned dark, conflicted, and a small frown appeared between his eyebrows. Naruto's mouth curled in confusion, making him look like he's just drank sour milk.

"You dare to be angry at me for refusing the chance for a family."

Naruto swallowed heavily. There was a lump the size of an orange in his throat and something unpleasant lined his stomach.

"You _hypocrite."_

Blue eyes met gray.

"Naruto!" Tsunade called. "Come on, you need to get to the hearing room. It's about to start."

Naruto stepped back and turned slowly away, holding eye contact with Sasuke until the walls got between them. Sasuke smirked as the blond walked away.

_I always did know how to get anything out of Kakashi._

* * *

The entire council was convened in the room, sitting in their designated seats. Two were conspicuously empty: Uchiha and Ukatane. Tsunade sat at the center, with Homura on her left and Danzou on her right. ANBU stood around all the entrances, guarding them from those who wanted to get in or out.

Naruto and Kakashi sat in the witness' section, along with Yamato and Shikamaru. The blond was fidgeting nervously, pulling at the new clothes he was wearing. His mind was half on what was about to happen and half on what Sasuke had said. He recalled the hurt, the depression he felt every time he lost Sasuke. Was that what the Fourth . . . his father . . . felt? He scrunched his face up and ran his hands through his hair. All this stuff—made his head and his heart hurt.

The doors opened and Minato walked in, escorted by four ANBU. Naruto shoved everything aside and set all his concentration on the hearing.

Minato was placed in the center of the room and the guards stepped back. The man scanned the room, his eyes landing on Naruto. He went to take a step toward him, but the guards stepped forward threateningly. He tensed and clearly wanted to fight his way to Naruto, but the teen flashed him a big grin and a thumbs-up sign. _I'm fine, _he mouthed. Minato stared at him for a moment longer before facing forward again.

Tsunade read off the formal files and charges quickly, and it was apparent to all that she just wanted to get it over with. Finally, she put the paper down and faced the man standing before her.

"The first issue is to determine who you are and what your intentions are in coming to Konoha," she stated. "What do you have to say to this?"

Minato blinked a couple of times, then took a deep breath. "I am Namikaze Minato."

A murmur ran through the council and he stopped to let it die down. "I am in Konoha because of my son, Nami—ah, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Namikaze Minato is recorded as KIA on October 10th, sixteen years ago," Homura interrupted. "What do you have to say to that?"

"I did die then," Minato admitted. "But I'm back now."

They waited for him to elaborate, but his eyes became distant and the man fell silent. Finally, he spoke again, at a prompt from Tsunade. "The seal I put on Naruto, the Shiki Fujin, demands a high price: the soul and life of the person who used it. When I performed the jutsu to seal Kyuubi, the Shinigami ate my soul. I stayed there for . . . sixteen years, fighting the other inhabitants of the Realm. I saw Naruto. He was flying through the air, because something had knocked him back. I used Hiraishin to grab him and get him to safety. We ran with Kyuubi—"

"Wait, what is this about Kyuubi?" Tsume demanded. "We were told that he was safe and sealed."

"Naruto, do you have an explanation for that?" Tsunade asked, cutting the flow of conversation instantly.

The blond nodded. "Uh, yeah. Since my soul is tied to the furbaaa—Kyuubi's with the seal, wherever I go, he goes."

"The Kyuubi is safely contained," Tsunade assured them. "As he has been for years. Please, continue.

Minato did so, and the council, though eyeing Naruto more suspiciously than before, didn't press the matter for the moment. "They took us to a place on top of a hill and Naruto said, 'There's no place like home.' Then, we were out of the Shinigami. The gods sent me here and I appeared in Naruto's hospital room."

After a moment with which to digest what Minato had said, Tsunade turned to Naruto. "Uzumaki Naruto, give us your version of events that led to the arrival of this man."

Naruto stood and swallowed. He and Tsunade had gone over what he was to say—nothing too detailed, just the bare bones of what had happened. He recited his story from the meeting chamber to the hospital room, leaving out the nature of the second test he had gone through.

"This is all highly improbable," Danzou said finally. "Do you expect us to really believe this tale you have concocted?"

"I might be able to help with that."

All eyes turned to the man who had spoken. He was standing in the door, flanked by two ANBU and followed by a younger man. Both strangers were dressed in the traditional robes of priests of the Fire country. Wolf ANBU stepped forward.

"Hokage-sama, this man claims that you have sent for him," Wolf said. "He demanded to speak with you immediately."

Tsunade hid a grimace—this was just what she needed. In truth, she'd completely forgotten about the priests she'd requested. Had they been anyone else, the two men would never have been allowed in, but their status demanded respect.

"Priest . . ." she trailed off, waiting for the man to give his name.

"Bishamon," he supplied, a genial smile spreading across his face.

"Yes, well, we are in the middle of a council meeting," Tsunade said. "A hearing, to be specific. And the services I requested you for are no longer required. Perhaps you could wait in my office."

"Hokage-sama," Bishamon interrupted. "I understand this matter has to do with the gods. As such, who is more qualified to give their opinion on it than I?"

"Hokage-sama."

Tsunade turned to Kakashi, who had stood up in the booth. "What is it?"

"I request that Uzumaki Naruto be taken back to the hospital," he said. "He has given his testimony in the matter of this man's identity and he needs medication—a metabolic stimulant to help him recover from the coma."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, and she flicked them to Naruto. He didn't need any medicine and was going to be discharged later that day. But from all appearances, the boy was still sick. Worry filled her as she looked him over. His skin was pale and coated with sweat. He seemed frozen in his seat, jaw clenched, body rigid. His eyes were staring straight ahead and eerily blank. Tsunade nodded and ordered Kakashi to take him to the hospital.

The instant the door closed, Minato became more agitated. His hands twitched nervously and he shifted from foot to foot continuously, unable to stay still. With a sigh, Tsunade resumed the hearing.

* * *

Kakashi eyed Naruto carefully, having deposited the boy back in his hospital room. He had never seen Naruto this quiet while awake—hell, he usually wasn't this quiet when he slept. Kakashi ordered the nurses to keep an eye on him, and to get the Hokage if things changed. Reluctantly, he went back to the hearing. He still had to give his testimony, after all.

* * *

Naruto rolled over again and twisted his sheets in his hands nervously. He couldn't explain it—the sudden, gripping fear that had come over him in the meeting room. That had been six hours ago, but his heart still pounded when he thought about it.

He had to stay still. He had to stay quiet. He had to follow orders. He had to . . .

Naruto shivered. It had something to do with the priest, he knew. When he had heard that man's voice—that's when it had started. His clothes felt constricting, unnatural on him. Not too tight, or uncomfortable, but _wrong, _as if he wasn't supposed to be wearing them. He wasn't supposed to have clothes—he'd get in trouble.

_Why won't you answer me, you dumb fox? _

Several times since he had been able to move, talk, think without fearing punishment, Naruto had demanded of Kyuubi what was going on, but he refused to answer.

Naruto knew what was wrong. He had it somewhere in his head, but it was locked away, just out of his reach.

He flopped over to the other side and his eyes landed on the folded-up red and white cloak. It had been in his room since Minato's—his father's . . . _his _arrest. Naruto wasn't sure who had brought it in, but whoever had had done a nice job stitching it up. Acting on impulse, as if he knew another way, Naruto threw the sheets off and grabbed the cloak, slipping out the door.

* * *

"Can you let me in?"

The guard stationed outside Minato's room looked Naruto up and down. "Have you gone through the security checkpoints?"

Naruto nodded.

The guard glanced around and leaned in. "Technically, no. But I was there during the trial. They're going to decide he's the Fourth, there is no way not to. I'll let you in as long as you get him to eat something."

"He hasn't been eating?" Naruto wondered.

The guard shook his head. "Or sleeping, as far as we can tell. Anyway, I think he's the Fourth. And as such, he's a hero, one Konoha needs. You seem to be the only thing he cares about, so help him out, okay?"

Naruto nodded again. "Yeah, sure. Just open the door."

The heavy wooden door swung open and Naruto stepped inside. Minato was leaning against the wall, arms folded, eyes staring.

"Hey, uh," Naruto said softly.

Minato snapped his eyes up. "Naruto!" He made to come to Naruto, but the teen stopped him.

"I'll give you a hug," he said. "But only if you eat something, deal?"

Confusion entered the blue eyes. "Eat? I haven't eaten in . . ."

"Yeah, that's why you need to now," Naruto said, scooping up the plate that was left on the floor. "You may not have needed food in the Shinigami's stomach, but you sure do now. Eat!"

Minato eyed the food as if it was going to attack him. "It could be the Cloakers."

"It's food," Naruto snapped. He grabbed the fork and shoveled some into his mouth. Minato's eyes widened and he tensed, but when the food didn't morph into something else or burn Naruto's face off, he slowly relaxed. The younger blond chewed and swallowed. "See? Just food! It's good for you. Not as good as ramen, but hey."

He held the plate out to Minato, who took it carefully and clutched the fork indelicately. The plate rattled in his hand, and his movements were painfully slow, but after a while, all the food was gone.

"You might wanna sit down," Naruto advised, peering closely at the man and seeing for the first time how bad he looked. The dark circles under his eyes indicated lack of sleep, and his cheeks were looking sunken from the starvation. The man was shaking almost continuously, but imperceptibly and he swayed slightly where he stood.

The two sat down on the bunk, where Naruto made Minato drink some water. Minato was taking small sips when Naruto decided to say what was on his mind.

"You know, I'm sorry about the way I've been treating you," he said softly. "You might not be the father from the other world, but—"

Naruto was interrupted by a heavy blond head hitting his shoulder. He stared down at Minato, who was sleeping and starting to drool on him. "Uh, hello? I was talking to you! You think that's easy for me? Come on!"

The guard called in from outside. "Tsunade ordered us to put sedatives in his food. I guess I forgot to mention that, sorry."

Naruto made a face and shoved the dead weight onto the bunk, placing the pillow under his head and covering him with the blanket. After a moment's hesitation, Naruto sat down on the floor next to the bunk, leaning against it. He covered himself with the cloak again and listened to his father's deep, steady breathing.

* * *

The sound of the door clanking open startled him out of his sleep and Naruto rubbed at his eyes. A figure stepped in and he scrambled to his feet, the Hokage's cloak clutched in his hands. The person was obviously a woman, but her head was covered by a traveling cloak. He blinked a couple of times, thinking he was imagining the familiar patterns and symbols sewn into the cloak.

"So the rumors are true. You are alive."

Naruto stared blankly and was still half asleep when the woman hauled back and clocked him across the jaw. He staggered and ended up sprawled on the floor, now fully awake and in pain. He rolled over, ready to confront his attacker, but stopped and gaped.

Uzumaki Kushina threw her hood back and glared at him.

"You son of a _bitch."_

* * *

--

* * *

PSYCHE!


	23. Chapter 19

Fear not! I have returned with another chapter, dragged from the depths of a dark cavern (aka my mind).

Ah, not much to say on this chapter. There are spoilers for the latest chapters of Naruto.

Oh, wait. **Spoiler. **Did anyone else think that the last 10 or so chapters of Naruto could have been condensed into 2 if Madara hadn't kept repeating himself?

Moving on!

Chapter 19

Naruto gaped at the woman standing above him. She looked like his mother, the one from the other universe, but there were huge differences. Her hair was much shorter—even though it was pulled back in a tight French braid, he could tell it only went to her shoulders. There was also a thin scar running through her right eyebrow and on to her temple.

"I knocked you down with one punch?" she laughed. Kushina advanced on him and Naruto scrambled back, hurrying to his feet. "The years have not been kind to you, Minato."

Naruto's eyes widened as he connected the dots. "Oh! Wait a—"

"_Shut up!" _Kushina shouted. This time, Naruto was more prepared for her and dodged to the right, avoiding her fist. He immediately had to fling himself back as her left knee came up to say hello to his chin. He had just regained his balance when she pivoted her hips, straightened out her leg, and kicked him square in the solar plexus. Naruto staggered back and gasped for breath.

Kushina's next blow was fast—incredibly so. Naruto put his arm up to block it and felt the force behind it sing from his wrist to his shoulder. Unfortunately, he didn't have a chance to get a word in edgewise, as all of his concentration was put into anticipating and avoiding his mother's powerful attacks.

_Come on, kit. Fight back!_

_I can't hit her, Kyuubi! She's—gah!_

Kushina finally stopped as she hit her intended target—his voice box. Naruto fell back, gagging and clutching at his throat. Before the fox could heal him, Kushina had snapped wires around his body, pinning his arms to his chest. Naruto stumbled and fell hard, unable to keep his balance.

"No more lies, Minato," she said, kneeling next to him. "I listened to them for three years. No more."

Naruto shook his head furiously and tried to gesture up to the bed. Kushina followed his gaze and saw Minato, still unconscious, sprawled on the cot. She stalked over to him and pulled the blankets back. Minato stirred, but didn't wake up, and she shook her head sadly.

"Lethargic, unresponsive." She snorted. "You always were terrible at shadow clones, Minato."

The blond let his head hit the floor and started yelling at Kyuubi for distracting him. Kyuubi snarled back not to distract him, as the sooner his throat healed, the sooner they could explain.

Kushina grabbed Naruto by the front of his shirt and leaned him against the wall.

"So, here we are," she said, sitting in front of him. "Quite the situation. I wonder where you've been for the past sixteen years, honey."

Naruto just stared at her and waited on Kyuubi to heal him.

She shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. My purpose in being here is to make sure you can't do to my daughter what you did to my son."

Naruto blinked and tried to speak, but ended up coughing.

She waited until he finished. "I didn't believe him at first. I told Orochimaru that it had to be a lie, my Minato would never do that. But then, reports came back. Kyuubi had attacked Konoha the night I gave birth to twins. The brave Fourth Hokage had died defeating the beast. The midwife who'd delivered my son also confirmed the tale. You had come to the valley that night, waiting for me to give birth. You were agitated and kept muttering something about seals to yourself. When the midwife brought our firstborn, our son out, you took him and vanished in a yellow flash."

Kushina paused and had to close her eyes for a second. Naruto took the opportunity to speak. "Wait—you have to listen to—"

"How the hell are you able to talk?" she demanded, eyes alight with anger. "I guess I didn't kick you as hard as I thought."

She brought her leg up for another silencing blow, but was tackled to the ground by Minato, who had apparently fought through part of the sedatives.

"Oh, now you wake up," she snarled. Kushina delivered a sharp right hook to his jaw and Minato went flying, landing hard.

Her eyes narrowed as he rubbed his jaw and clumsily turned around. Naruto grimaced—clearly all the meds hadn't worn off. "What kind of shadow clone are you?"

"No—clone," Minato gritted.

"He's Namikaze Minato!" Naruto shouted.

Kushina whipped out a kunai and held it to Minato's throat. He clutched at her wrist, trying to turn it away, but she kicked at his arm. "If he's Minato, who're you?"

"I'm Naruto."

The silence could have been cut with a knife.

Naruto stared up at her and Kushina stared straight back. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth twitched. A frown creased between her eyes as she looked him over. He smiled, but it faded when she said, "That's impossible."

"Eh?" Naruto was confused. "Why? I am Na—"

"_Don't say that!"_

"Don't shout at him!" Minato snarled.

Kushina stepped away from Minato, leaving him on the hard floor, and crouched in front of Naruto. "My son . . . Naruto is _dead. _He died the same day he was born, because his father was a bastard and messed up the sealing process that would have turned my baby into a living weapon."

"I'm not dead!" Naruto protested. "And my father's not—"

"Stop speaking," Kushina ordered. "You are not my son."

Naruto stared at her and cast around for something to say to her, something to convince her. His eyes landed on the symbols on her cloak. "I can prove it!"

One blond eyebrow hiked up. "Really? Let's see."

Naruto closed his eyes and reached deep inside himself. He knew it was in there—he'd found it in the other world and used it in the Shinigami's stomach.

_Ah, there. _

Kushina felt her heart stutter as the blond leaning against the wall started to glow green. She could feel it—the unique signature of _Areah Broah. _There was no doubt—this boy was a member of the Churaeah. And the hair, the eyes.

The kunai in her hand clattered to the floor.

Naruto opened his eyes and grinned at her. "Is this enough proof for you?"

Kushina mouthed wordlessly for a few more moments, watching the green glow around her son fade away. She shook her head and covered her mouth. "No . . . no, that's impossible. H-how?"

"Simple," Naruto said with a grin. "I'm not dead."

"Untie him," Minato demanded. "Now."

Kushina looked over her shoulder and shifted so that she could see them both at the same time. "No," she gulped. "No, I don't think so."

Minato shoved himself to his hands and knees. "Untie my son."

"Not until I understand what's going on," Kushina shot back. "How both of you are alive and where have you been for the past sixteen years?"

"That's a long story," Naruto said.

"I've got time," she replied, leaning against the wall. Minato tried standing up, but fell back down heavily. Kushina frowned at him. "What's with you?"

"He's been sedated," Naruto answered. "And his chakra's sealed because he's on trial."

"On trial?" Kushina chuckled and Minato sent her a very dark look. "For what?"

"Killing—"

"_Koharu!" _Minato shouted, interrupting Naruto's response. "She—oh! She threatened Naruto! Shoulda done more than kill her!"

Kushina frowned. "Are you sure you're Minato?"

Minato blinked a couple of times and focused on her face. "Kushina?"

Her only response was to raise an eyebrow.

"Kushina. It is you." A smile spread across his face, and he crawled forward, reaching for her. "It's been so long."

"Sixteen years, actually," Kushina answered. She peered closer and frowned. "What the hell? You don't look a day over twenty-six."

"The seal he used took him to the Shinigami's stomach," Naruto answered, drawing her attention. Minato finally got up to her and she made to push him away, but Minato just grabbed her hand and twined their fingers together. She frowned at him, but he wouldn't let go of her hand.

"Kushina," he whispered. "I didn't get to explain. I'm so sorry. So sorry I left you. Didn't you hear? Didn't he tell you everything?"

"Oh, you mean Orochimaru?" Kushina sneered. "Oh, yes. He told me everything. How you wanted to create the ultimate weapon, so you got me pregnant to tap into the _Areah Broah. _You orchestrated the Kyuubi attack so that you could seal it in our child—give him the ultimate power. Unfortunately, something went wrong and you and Naruto died."

"And you trusted him?" Naruto burst. "But—but he's a missing-nin! A liar! He killed the old man!"

"Old man?" Kushina wondered.

"Sarutobi," Naruto explained. "And Snake-face killed him! Why did you trust him?"

"Orochimaru became a missing-nin over a year after the Kyuubi attack," Kushina snapped. "Why wouldn't I trust him?"

"It appears he orchestrated this whole situation," Kakashi said from the doorway.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cheered. "Lemme outta here, will you?"

Kushina stared. "Kakashi? When did you get so tall?"

Kakashi sighed and stepped over to Naruto, releasing the wires that bound him. "I'm not _that _tall. And Orochimaru told us here in Konoha you were dead."

Kushina fell silent and started chewing on her lip. Her eyes flicked uncertainly between Minato and Naruto. She closed her eyes and banged her head against the wall. Minato protested softly, his other hand coming up to cradle her head so it didn't hit the wall. A single tear leaked from her eyes and she reached up to wipe it away.

_Could I have been wrong all these years? _

"Don't cry," Minato murmured.

"I think it would be best if we moved this to the Hokage's office," Kakashi suggested. "I'm sure Tsunade would like to see her former student."

Kushina nodded and stood up, reaching a hand out to help Naruto up. He stood, grinning at her and Kakashi. Minato staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on Kushina and Kakashi. The ANBU at the door stopped them.

"Wait, you can't leave, Hokage-sama," he said. "You're still a dangerous person."

Minato's face contorted at the thought of going back inside the room. "No—I can't—Kushina—"

"It's okay, Minato," she said, offering him a smile. "I'll be back, I promise. Can you wait for me in there?"

He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. After a moment, he nodded his consent. Kakashi guided him back to the cot, where he laid down. Even with the excitement, the sedatives were still powerful and still in all of his food. He took one sip of water and was out just a few minutes later.

"So, how exactly did you get past all of the guards?" Naruto asked as they walked back out.

Kushina grinned. "The symbols sewn into this cloak," she answered. "They allow me to pass undetected, make people's eyes slip over me unless I speak or do something to draw their attention. So, it's true Tsunade is the Hokage?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep, Obaa-san is in charge!"

Kushina laughed. "How many casino parlors has she set up so far?"

* * *

The gates of Konoha were bigger than she'd expected. The gates were the only opening in the high, high wall that surrounded the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She had reconned the entire area and theoretically, one could get through by navigating the mountains that the giant faces were carved into. Unfortunately, the ANBU here weren't idiots. That sector was heavily patrolled.

And it wasn't like she could scale any part of the wall. There was a huge ring of emptiness also surrounding Konoha, and guards continually walked on top of the wall, scanning for intruders.

It was night, so that meant that the gates were closed. Otherwise, she would have just walked up, blown sleeping dust in their faces and continued inside.

Tama sighed and tilted her head to the side. As curious as she was about her mother's traveling, and her 'father's' sudden reappearance, she really didn't feel like going up against an army of ninja on high alert. It would have to wait until day, and she'd just camp in the woods until then.

She cracked her knuckles and turned around, ready to search for a good place to stay, but stopped dead when she saw the people standing behind her.

One of them laughed cruelly and leveled a huge sword at her. "Looks like the little girl isn't a ninja, after all. She definitely would have sensed us so close to her."

Tama's eyes widened and she turned to run, but a woman stepped forward and swept her legs out from under her. Tama went down hard, but rolled over and kicked out. The woman blocked the kick and pinned Tama down faster than she could blink.

The woman knelt and grabbed Tama's chin, tilting her head this way and that. "It looks like we have the daughter of the Fourth Hokage and the Churaeah's high priestess."

"Excellent leverage," one spiky-haired man said. "Just in case they do not give us Sasuke."

The woman nodded. "I agree. Take her."

The man with the sword grinned and seized Tama's arm. "It would be easier if I could cut her legs off."

Tama's heart beat faster and she stared at the huge sword he was wielding. Fortunately for her, the one with the spiky hair stepped forward. "No, we need her more or less intact."

He moved closer to her and Tama kicked out, not to be taken so easily. The man captured her leg and twisted it, wrenching her knee out of its socket. She let out a scream, but he backhanded her and she fell silent.

"If you scream again, I'll break your jaw," he informed her. "If you try to run, I'll dislocate your other knee."

"That's enough," another voice interrupted. "Pick her up. She can't run with her knee like that. Take her back to the base and make sure she can't get out."

The three turned to leave at the order of their leader, Tama slung over the shoulder of the man with the sword. She passed the leader and stared straight into his eye. Behind the orange mask, she could see a blood red iris with three black commas swirling in it.

She shook inwardly and nearly passed out as the blue man carrying her jostled her knee.

_Damn it. Why didn't I listen to Mom and just stay in the valley? If somebody is out there, please help me._

* * *

Naruto winced and rubbed his knee. Kushina noticed and frowned. "What's wrong, Naruto? I didn't hurt you did I?"

He shook his head. "Naw, you'd have to hit me pretty hard to do any kind of lasting damage. Kyuubi heals most of that stuff pretty quick."

Kushina's frown deepened. "I thought—what happened that night?"

"Everything will be explained, Kushina," Tsunade said, joining them on their way to the Hokage building.

"Hey, where'd you come from, hag?" Naruto asked, looking around as if she'd appeared out of thin air.

Tsunade bonked him on the back of the head. "The hospital, actually. Jiraiya's room. He's showing a great many signs of improvement. I expect him to wake up within a week."

Naruto grinned. "Really? You think?"

"What happened to Jiraiya?" Kushina asked.

"We don't know," Tsunade replied, pushing the doors to her office open. "He's been in a coma for six weeks now. His mission and whereabouts are classified."

The door slammed shut behind Kakashi and Tsunade turned around. "As will be this conversation. Now I want explanations, and hopefully, someone to blame. Start talking."

* * *

The stone was there, as it always was. The names too numerous to count, too dear to be disregarded.

Kakashi wondered idly if someone died, and then came back to life, were they still counted as KIA?

He had been standing before the memorial for ages, since the debriefing ended. All had been explained—Orochimaru had purposely made sure that Kushina and Naruto stayed apart, why no one knew. Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and stared up at the Konoha flag, which was at half-staff until sunset today.

The elite Jounin lowered his head for one final look at the memorial, but something caught his eye. It was a piece of paper, wedged beneath the stone. Kakashi frowned, wondering how he didn't notice it before, and picked it up.

There was no address, no "Dear whoever" or "Love, me." Kakashi turned it over and scanned the first line.

_I wish you wouldn't remember me. _

His eye narrowed and he continued to read, despite the fact that it wasn't addressed to him. He rationalized that by saying it wasn't for anyone, so why shouldn't he read it?

_I wish you wouldn't remember me. _

_I know how your heart hurts and your eyes water when you remember me. _

_You think of my smile, my happiness, my life and how you will never see them again. _

_You think of the chances missed, words you never said. _

_You grieve, you wallow. _

_You idiot._

_I did not die so that you could live on in misery. _

_I did not die so that you could create a monument to me and pay respects by being sad. _

_I died for _your _smile, your happiness, your life. _

_What good was my death if you died with me? _

_Do not remember me. I would rather you forget and be happy, than remember and be sad. _

Kakashi stared at the small paper for a moment more, before folding it back up and sticking it where he found it.

His eyes ran over the inscription on top of the stone, seeing it in a very new light—literally, the sun was rising.

"_To those who died in the line of service, may we never forget for what they fought."_

He stepped back from the stone and offered one final salute to the many men and women memorialized on it, knowing they could never return it. With a heavy heart, he turned to prepare for the trial of his old sensei.

* * *

_Sarutobi and the Senju brothers stared at the mirror. _

_Hashirama sighed. "Such a shame that Koharu died. She was a great ninja once."_

_Sarutobi shook his head. "You didn't see her grow. She became cold, vicious. She refused to see that people could be good, and chose to take the worst view of them."_

_"How so?" the Second asked. _

_"She refused to believe in Naruto for one," Sarutobi responded. "Koharu and Homura were among those leading the call to kill him after the Kyuubi attack. They didn't believe that he could contain the demon. She overruled me on the Uchiha disaster as well, ordered Itachi to kill his entire family."_

_"Clearly, he didn't kill them all," Hashirama said. "Sasuke's alive."_

_Sarutobi nodded. "Yes, Sasuke was his one weakness."_

_"Ooh, look," the Second said. "The trial's starting. Let's see how Tsunade does."_

_Hashirama shook his head. "I still don't believe that's my sweet _little _Tsunade. I don't know where she gets _that."

* * *

Yes, the trial will be next chapter. At last.

And Tama's been captured! Oh no!

And you all know why Kushina wasn't there. And no, I haven't forgotten about Jiraiya, there's just not a whole lot I can do with him right now.

As for the note at the end, it was partially to give Kakashi something to think about (might or might not change him, but it's food for thought) but it was also my rather lame attempt to do something for Memorial Day, which was today in the US. Even if you don't live in America, which I'm sure is true of many of you, you can take a moment to honor people who died doing the right thing and protecting their country. Soldiers, firemen, police officers. They deserve our respect, and remembrance, if only for one day of the year.


	24. Chapter 20

Okay, here's the chapter.

Warning: I have finals this week. There may or may not be a chapter next Monday, because my brain will be fried. I also have 29 hours of work. Don't expect one, but I will do my best to get the next one out.

Ah, not much to say.

Chapter 20

"Are you sure your throat's okay?"

Naruto made a face as his mother reached for him again. "Yes, I'm fine. I told you, my permanent house guest heals everything."

"Well, he's not taking care of whatever's wrong with your knee," Kushina shot back.

Naruto made another face and slumped down low in his seat, glaring at the assembly. He could only assume that this was a courtroom. There was a big ring of seats on one side for the council and several tables set up in front of them. Behind the tables were a bunch of benches, which were getting increasingly crowded. Some of the other spectators shot him sneers, and Naruto stuck his tongue out at them.

Kushina grabbed it and used it to pull his face to hers. "You are not a child; don't stick your tongue out at people."

With that, she released it and wiped her hand off on the person sitting next to her, who didn't even notice. Naruto chewed on his lip as he fought back the urge to say something snarky and hurtful.

"Well, has your 'house guest' told you what's wrong with your knee yet?" Kushina asked, leaning down and trying to inspect it.

Naruto pulled away from her. "Naw, stupid furball says it's not physical, just mental."

"What?" Kushina asked, still poking at his knee. "You're imagining this pain?"

"Wrong knee," Naruto told her, even though it wasn't. She leaned over and started inspecting the other one. "And no, he doesn't really know what it is."

"Helpful little bastard," Kushina muttered, giving up on the phantom pain and sitting up. Almost immediately, she was on him again, this time brushing at his T-shirt. "I wish we'd had time to get you new clothes. Especially since this one's stained with ramen."

Naruto frowned and looked down at himself. He'd grown out of most of his clothes during his coma, and had barely managed to find things that fit him—an old, ugly, stained T-shirt and too-short pants that he had tucked into the tops of his boots. Well, actually, Kushina had, claiming it would hide the height problem.

"Ramen isn't very good for you either, honey—"

"Well, you shoulda told me that when I was a kid," Naruto snapped. "Oh, wait, you couldn't, 'cause you weren't there."

Kushina pulled back as if he'd slapped her. Guilt wormed its way into his gut as he watched her lower lip tremble and her eyes water slightly. The woman blinked away the 

tears, though, and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm trying to be here now. Why won't you let me?"

"You're trying to make up for sixteen years of nothing in one day," Naruto snapped.

"I'm trying to make up for last night!" Kushina cried. Heads turned at her outburst, but both Uzumakis glared at them until they returned to other things. There was no doubt they were still listening, but at least there was a pretense of privacy.

Kushina lowered her voice and continued. "I _hit _you. I beat you up. I beat my son up. I tied you up and—" Her voice broke and the tears gathering in her eyes started to fall.

Naruto grimaced—she was crying, or starting to at least. He felt fear well up inside him to tangle with the guilt and couldn't decide whether to hold her, run away or get her out of the room. He cast around for an answer, and found it when a middle-aged man who had seen his plight mouthed something to him.

_Run away! _the man advised.

Naruto frowned, not liking that. He thankfully didn't have to run as his mother sniffled a couple more times, but got herself under control. He slowly turned back, not daring to hope it was over.

Kushina sighed and wiped at her eyes. "I know you're wondering why I didn't a-apologize or something last ni-night," she said softly.

The younger blond stayed very still, as if any movement from him would startle her into tears again. But Kushina was in charge now and continued without a hitch. "The truth is, despite the fact that you'd shown me spirit energy and that Tsunade and Kakashi vouched for everything, part of me still didn't believe it was you.

"I was scared," she admitted quietly, twisting her fingers together. "Scared that it would be some ghastly mistake and then I'd loose you all over again. Scared because admitting it was you meant admitting the terrible mistakes I'd made.

Naruto reached out and tentatively grabbed her hand. She squeezed it once. "Let's stop talking about this," he suggested.

Kushina nodded, her now free blond hair falling in her face. "Yeah, this will be hard enough without extra emotional baggage. I'm inches away from falling apart as it is. We'll talk later, baby, I promise."

"Will you explain how you gave up on D-dad so easily?" Naruto asked, then smacked himself. The woman was emotionally fragile right now; why bring that up?

Kushina stiffened. "Yes, I'll get to that, but understand one thing, Naruto. I did not believe the lies that snake bastard told me _easily."_

Naruto nodded and settled into his seat, absently rubbing his knee. The number of people in the courtroom grew as the time drew closer and Naruto was glad that they got front row seats as the defendant's family. He glanced over his shoulder, looking for Kakashi, but couldn't see the preposterous mop of gray—wait, 'silver'—anywhere. There were many ninjas of his father's generation there, frowning, uncertain, waiting to see their once-dead friend and Hokage.

He turned back to the front and stared at the council seats, currently empty. Above them all hung flags with the family symbols on them. His eyes were drawn to the familiar red and white Uchiha one.

"_It clearly never occurred to you that I didn't want a family."_

His brow creased deeply. Why wouldn't Sasuke want a family? Being alone sucked. Seriously. The apartment was creepy in the dark, and he hated having to clean up his own stuff the morning after a mission.

Well, maybe Sasuke likes being alone, Naruto reasoned, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. He always was a weird one, almost as far back as Naruto could remember. There was a time, just at the edge of his memory, where Naruto could remember seeing Sasuke a normal, smiling kid, being given piggyback rides by his brother.

So having his family killed turned him crazy?

Naruto shook his head. Sasuke wasn't nuts. Disturbed, maybe, dark and depressing. But not nuts, not like some people were.

"_You hypocrite."_

Why hadn't he, Naruto, wanted to accept his father, his mother? Still didn't want to, on some, okay, a lot of levels. They weren't the first family he'd known, but they could still be a family. A darned good one, too, he bet. Was it just because his father was the Fourth Hokage, the Sealer?

But that didn't explain the resistance he felt to his mom.

Was it because neither of them were there growing up?

Naruto considered his mom. He didn't think it was her fault, not really. Orochimaru had fooled a lot of people. He was a master manipulator, the man with the forked tongue. Naruto had never really gotten that, but he figured two tongues meant you'd be able to say two things at the same time. Snake face had tricked Sarutobi and the general populace for years, and then he'd been able to masquerade as the Kazekage without anyone knowing. So, no, it wasn't his mom's fault that she wasn't there for his childhood.

. . . but he still blamed her.

Shame colored his cheeks as Naruto came to that conclusion. He wanted to accept his parents and he didn't have a good reason to reject his mother, but he did.

Naruto rubbed his forehead as he tried to apply that to Sasuke. It didn't work, because to his knowledge, Naruto hadn't done anything to hurt Sasuke. He'd been a rival, pushing him to be better, a teammate and a friend. Sasuke rejected Itachi and for good reason. The fault and the blame lied with him.

_And I've gotten nowhere!_

Why would Sasuke not want a family?

Naruto scrunched up his face and gripped his hair. Kushina, who had been watching the entire thing, raised an eyebrow. "You know, I can tell you're upset about something," she murmured, leaning in. "But you won't find the answers in your roots, so stop ripping your hair out."

Naruto grinned sheepishly and let go of his hair, which was now in an even more unmanageable mess. Kushina reached up in a vain attempt to smooth it, her hand trembling. Naruto's overworked mind tiredly reached for one of her comments and he felt so close to the answer, but at that moment, Chouji appeared in the aisle, right behind him.

"Hey, Naruto," he said. "And, uh, Naruto's mom."

Kushina smiled at the young man. "Call me Kushina. You must be Chouza's boy. It's nice to meet you. I knew your mother a long time ago, but I obviously haven't seen her in ages."

Chouji smiled politely and sat down in the end of the crowded bench. Naruto was about to ask him where everyone else was, but Chouji just closed his eyes and started to grow. It was very subtle and Naruto didn't even notice it at first, but within a few minutes, the man on the other end of the bench fell to the floor.

It was then the two blonds saw that Chouji was growing, not out, but across. He was forcing people off the bench one by one, to what purpose Naruto didn't know. He was transfixed by the civilians' amusing outrage and indignation and thus failed to notice when another of his friend joined Chouji.

"I think that's enough," Shikamaru said, yawning. "We only need room for seven."

Kushina and Naruto peered around Shikamaru as Chouji shrank back down. There was a little bit of sweat dotting his forehead and Naruto figured it must not be easy to control the way you expand when you get big. Chouji scooted down the seat to make room for the others coming and pulled out several bags of chips.

Shikamaru, Sakura, Neji, Kiba, Shino and Sai all filed into the bench, taking their places behind Naruto. He was thrilled that they were there to support him, but Kushina nearly burst into tears seeing the loyalty they all held for her son. She got the symbolism.

Naruto frowned seeing Neji's arm in a sling. "Hey, what happened to your arm, Neji?"

The implacable Hyuuga simply raised an eyebrow and answered, "It was hurt in my latest mission."

"Hinata's filling in on his team for their current mission," Sakura said. "Normally, it would be a problem as she's a Chuunin and he's a Jounin, but the ranking's B and they just needed someone with Byakugan."

Naruto nodded and looked again to Neji. "Who hurt it? And how did they get past your Kaiten? And is everybody else okay if that person was so strong?"

Neji refused to respond and was faced with giggles and snorts from the others. Naruto, seeing something juicy, immediately started to bug and pester his friends until Sai gave in and answered him. He was the only one not to be amused at Neji's expense and apparently couldn't understand what was so funny.

"No enemy ninja hurt Neji," he said. Naruto's brow furrowed and his taxed brain struggled to keep up. "He was arm-wrestling with Lee, who got excited and slammed Neji's arm on the table too hard."

Naruto snorted and would have exploded into full-blown laughter, but Kushina smacked him on the back of the head. His whining was cut short by her next words. "All of you be quiet. The council members are coming in now. The trial's about to start."

* * *

The door opened with a creak and it was all Minato could do not to dash out of it and run for open space, where he could fight or hide. There had been a few moments, in the middle of the night, when they had moved him from his ugly, dark cell to the holding room behind the court, where he had breathed real, fresh air. Minato squeezed his eyes shut and thought of Kushina and Naruto. He was going to trial for killing Koharu. The guards stepped in and ordered him to stand.

_But I did nothing wrong. She was threatening a ninja and citizen of Konoha. _

They stopped before a large, barred door. Minato licked his dry, dry lips and tried to control his breathing.

The guards took the bindings off him and he flexed his free wrists. He still couldn't feel his chakra—he understood the process. Hell, he'd been the one to invent and insist on implementation of the chakra seals for prisoners. He knew it was necessary until he was proven innocent, but it still grated. What if something happened?

He would be helpless, unable to fight. They would come for him and kill him—or worse, come for Naruto or Kushina and they'd be killed or hurt. Images ran through his head, blood and bone, intestines spilled on the floor, bright eyes dull—

"Hokage-sama, we're about to go in."

Minato clenched his trembling fists. All he had to do was see them—see them alive and healthy and not mutilated or dead. He would in a moment, when they opened the door and started the trial. They'd be sitting there in the front row, ready to support him.

The doors opened and he stepped forward, searching the crowd for two heads of blond hair, for brilliant gem-colored eyes, for smiles and promises of hope, for sanity. There was a roar as he stepped into the light, people gasping in surprise, immediately talking to each other in everything from low whispers to outraged shouts. He didn't notice, but one woman fainted outright.

The tension drained out of his body as he spotted them, sitting in the front row. Kushina's hair was down around her face and she wore an old, familiar brown jacket. He couldn't believe that thing had survived all of these years. Naruto was next to her, in a downright ugly, dirty blue t-shirt.

He wanted to go to them, but the guards steered him away. He kept an eye on them and grinned back when Naruto flashed him a thumbs-up. He was seated in front of a bench with the guards on either side of him.

Tsunade smiled as she saw the Namikaze family's interaction and knew once everything had settled, the four would become close and strong. She'd not missed the mention of Naruto's sister, and knew that part of his story was true here as well. Kushina had confirmed it last night, even that the girl's name was Tama. She was apparently very skilled in healing and medical jutsus of all sorts, though her combat skills were dangerously lacking and she'd never been outside of the valley without an armed escort.

The Godaime intended to have a talk with Kushina about the unbalanced upbringing, but as long as Tama was safe with the Churaeah, it wasn't an immediate problem.

Deciding there had been enough time for people to speculate and stare, Tsunade stood and roared at them all to shut up. Homura grimaced at her inelegant start, but said nothing.

Naruto grabbed his mother's hand as Tsunade read off the incident: the killing of Ukatane Koharu by Namikaze Minato.

Minato took a deep breath. At some point in time, he knew he could have taken this courtroom on. Years ago, before all the fights, before Kyuubi, he had strong-armed and sweet-talked the Council into anything he wanted. The only one able to stand against him at the time was Sarutobi. He knew he had that strength in him still. Somewhere. He just needed to find it.

"This trial has been convened to determine if this action was acceptable, justified, or criminal," Tsunade said. "We will hear statements from all involved and make a decision based on the evidence."

"What do those three things mean?" Naruto whispered to his mom. "Acceptable, justified, criminal?"

"Shh!" Kushina hushed him, but pulled a pen and paper out. On it, she scribbled for a couple minutes, then thrust it into his hand.

Naruto frowned at it, but he could just manage to make out his mother's handwriting. _Acceptable means that in the circumstances, there was no possible alternative. It was the only thing he could do to protect himself. Justified means that under the circumstances, it was not the ideal option, but the conditions allow it. Criminal means that it was totally intolerable and needs to be punished. _

He put the paper down and stared up at the council. Tsunade had finished with the formalities, and was now asking his father to give his version on what had happened.

Minato stood and Kushina's eyes narrowed. This wasn't the posture of the man she'd seen in that cell last night—though it had been brief, she could tell that he was uncertain, unstable. But the way his feet were planted and his chin was tilted, he wasn't the Minato she knew from years ago, but he wasn't the pale shadow of himself he was last night, either.

"I will not apologize for my actions on the 29th of May," he began. "I did what I felt was necessary to protect my son, who was being threatened by Ukatane Koharu and weak and defenseless at the time."

Naruto folded his arms and slouched at the terms applied to him.

Homura rolled his eyes and leaned forward. "Do you really believe that there was no other alternative? You could not have shown her mercy for her 'crime?'"

Minato's eyes narrowed and when he opened his mouth again, his voice was like steel, ringing in the courtroom. "I _did. _I gave her ample opportunity to remove her weapon from my son's throat, but she did not. The Koharu I knew was a loyal ninja of Konoha, and a sensible woman. Had she been another, I would have killed her the instant her blade came near my son."

A murmur ran through the council and Minato sat back down, hands trembling.

"There were ANBU all around and you decided to take it upon yourself to intervene?" Danzou demanded.

"'A ninja must take it upon himself to protect the lives of civilians or allies, unless directly ordered not to by a superior,'" Minato quoted. "The nineteenth ninja rule, if I'm not mistaken."

Tsume sighed. "It seems like it's pretty clear to me what happened. I vote that this was justified and let's go home."

"Wait," Danzou ordered. "I want to try something. Namikaze Minato, do you recognize this Council's legal superiority over you, despite your position as Hokage?"

Tsunade frowned. Danzou was up to something, and she knew it wouldn't be good. For whatever reason, the man seemed determined to bring Minato down. What she couldn't understand was why. He would be a huge asset, provided he could get himself sane again, and even Akatsuki would be wary of threatening Konoha with the Fourth Hokage alive and well.

Minato frowned. There was no ninja who could countermand his orders, but he had to obey the domestic decrees of the council. "Yes."

"As a senior member of this Council, and therefore able to give binding orders to non-vital security interests, I order you not to attack any ANBU for the next five minutes."

Puzzled, Minato nodded and Danzou immediately signaled to two of the ANBU stationed at the back of the room. At his signal, they jumped forward. One grabbed Naruto by the back of the neck and held a kunai to his throat, exactly as Koharu had done. The other stood at his back, making sure none of the ninja sitting on the benches jumped forward.

There was an outraged roar from the entire assembly and more than half the ninjas leaped to their feet. Tsunade grabbed the front of Danzou's robes. "What the hell is the meaning of this?"

Danzou shook himself free and turned to face the scene playing out on the courtroom floor. Naruto was holding the kunai away from his neck and thrashing madly, but it was having no effect on the ANBU holding him. Tsunade saw what was about to happen and tried to bring Minato back to earth, to calm him down, but it was too late.

Minato leaped over the railing keeping the public from the actual courtroom and flew at the ANBU holding Naruto. The eagle-faced warrior immediately dropped Naruto, grabbed Minato's arm and slammed him down on the ground. Minato's foot came up and connected with the side of the ANBU who was pinning him down.

"Fall back."

Both ANBU flew away from the blonds and back to their original position by the doors. Minato dragged himself over to Naruto and checked his neck.

Dread settled in Tsunade's stomach as Danzou and Homura turned to her with identical smirks. She straightened and tried to regain some control. "This incident—"

"Is not in question, I agree," Homura cut her off. "But he attacked an ANBU going against direct orders. We'd have to convene another trial to deal with this incident."

"That's ridiculous," Naari said.

"Exactly. This trial is too specific, too narrow to deal with this man," Homura said. "I propose that this trial change its purpose to something more general—Namikaze Minato's sanity."

Tsunade and Kushina bristled. "What are you talking about?" the Hokage demanded.

"I'm talking about determining whether Namikaze Minato is fit to be a functioning ninja and member of society," Homura said.

* * *

Minato paced back and forth in his cell. The council had been thrown into chaos after Homura's declaration, and ANBU had ripped him away from Naruto. Tsunade had come down some while later saying that the trial was postponed until Homura's proposition could be shot down.

"_And it will be shot down," she swore._

Minato ran his fingers through his hair and reached for stability. There were times when he was stable, and he knew then that he would descend back into madness and how difficult it would be. And he knew when he was insane that this wasn't right, that he was a far better, stronger man than this.

There were voices outside the door, and then it opened silently and the current bane of Minato's existence stepped through.

"What do you want, Homura?" he demanded. Something in him cried out at being so rude, but it was quiet and insignificant in the face of his anger and uncertainty.

Homura smiled. "I want what is best for Konoha, the same as you."

"Somehow I don't believe you," Minato responded.

"Yes, and you wouldn't cooperate with me either, would you?" Homura asked. He sighed and shook his head. "And thus, you have forced my hand."

"To have me committed as insane?" Minato demanded, struggling to keep his temper.

"Only if you don't agree, Minato," Homura said. "You see, I know what a great asset you would be to Konoha, one we really can't afford to lose. On the other hand, certain forces in Konoha need you on their side."

"So what?" Minato snapped. "I agree to whatever you want or you have me locked up?"

Homura nodded. "You've hit the nail on the head. You see, tomorrow morning we will determine the nature of your trial, and I have enough influence to strongarm it through _and _make sure the outcome is what I want."

"I may have been dead for sixteen years—" Minato began.

"And who will protect your son?" Homura asked.

Minato froze.

"An organization called Akatsuki wants him and if they get him, they will kill him. He has made his own enemies, and how many of yours will go after him to get to you?" Homura hissed, closing in on the terrified Minato. "I'm not asking for a lot, just a favor to be cashed in later. Is one little favor worth being free and able to protect your son and lover?"

Minato squeezed his eyes shut. Part of him was roaring against this blackmail, but the greater part was bringing up images of a dead Naruto, a Naruto being mercilessly tortured, a Naruto mistaken for him, a Naruto killed to get to him.

"Alright," he whispered. The images receded to be replaced by guilt. "One favor."

Homura smiled and turned around. "Glad we agree. I'll see you in trial tomorrow, Hokage-sama."

* * *

--

* * *

Hm, yes. Homura is eeeeevil, no?

And normally, Minato wouldn't agree. If he was in his right mind, he'd punch Homura in the face. But, he's not. And Homura found his vulnerable point: protecting Naruto. So, please don't say that's out of character. Mina-chan's nuts, bonkers, crazy.

That's all folks!

Edit: Before anyone else mentions it, I know that Kushina is a redhead, according to the manga. I have accounted for that in "If Only." She may dye her hair back, she may not. I haven't decided yet.

Edit 2: I am not making Naruto out to be a weakling. Minato is thinking only in terms of protecting his son, not that Naruto is a powerful ninja or that there are a multitude of other people to look after him.

Edit 3: No, he's not insane for wanting to protect his son. Danzou's point was that he couldn't control himself. He agreed not to attack ANBU, but then he did. That's the point Homura (who is a guy) and Danzou were trying to make.


	25. Chapter 21

So, have you ever been on vacation and totally lost track of the days? Yeah, up until about 2 today, I thought it was Monday. So, that's the reason for the lateness. Sorry!

This will be wrapping up soon--next couple of chapters and then we'll move on to Part 3. If I'd edited BotB properly, it would have been about the same length. There were a ton of unnecessary chapters in that.

Now, I really, really, really wish that people would read the AN. I said that I know about Kushina's hair color, but I still got reviews and PMs saying she was a redhead. Honestly.

Oh, and for those of you that haven't noticed, or don't have an account, I usually manage to update every monday. If I can't I'll up something up, and there will be glitches. Like today. So, please, don't ask when the next chapter will be out. Unless there's an AN, expect Monday.

Chapter 21

Naruto's eyes snapped open, but he didn't move.

_No movement. No noise. No movement. No noise._

His heart pounded hard and loud in his chest. His hands were clammy and his skin stuck to the sweaty sheets. The cracks and dents in the ceiling above him were far too familiar, as was the scent of ramen stains.

_This is my apartment. No movement. I'm safe here. No noise. _

His mother stirred on his bed and rolled over. He remained frozen in his sleeping bag on the hard wood floor. Naruto swallowed silently. If he made a noise, he knew they'd be on him. He'd be punished for waking them, even though he'd had a bad dream about Akatsuki.

_There is no one here except my mom. I can move. I can talk. _

Still, he was unmoving and silent. It felt so wrong to be so, and a large part of him was screaming and howling and raging at his inaction. He wanted to move and get a glass of water, but he knew. If someone else would move, would tell him it was alright.

_Hear me! Listen! Please, just say something! Please!_

Kushina opened her eyes and blinked blearily. Her heart—no, not hers, someone else's heart was beating a million miles a minute. The stench of sweat and fear was thick in the room. She rolled over to face Naruto.

"Naruto?"

Something inside him released and he let out a deep, shuddering breath. Immediately, Naruto kicked the sheets off his legs and jumped to his feet. Kushina did the same, her brow knitting as he sprinted to the kitchen to get some water.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" she questioned, moving up behind him.

Naruto braced his hands on the sink and tried to calm himself. It was just a dream—he didn't know why it upset him so much. And he'd faced Akatsuki before—so why did the red clouds having him waking in a fright?

"Did you have that dream again?" Kushina asked, referring to the nightmare of Akatsuki. He'd had it the previous night as well. Her worry increased as he hobbled to the small table. His knee was obviously bothering him again. She'd looked at it herself, had multiple medic-nins come in, but no one could figure out what was wrong with Naruto's knee. Naruto kept saying that Kyuubi insisted that nothing physical was wrong, but Kushina couldn't quite figure out what else could be going on.

With a heavy sigh, she scrubbed her face and sat down. _Maybe if I was getting more sleep . . . _

"Sorry I woke you," Naruto muttered.

Kushina shook her head. "I wasn't sleeping all that well anyway."

"Worried about the trial tomorrow?" Naruto asked, taking another gulp of water.

She nodded. "Yeah. I still can't believe that Homura and Danzou did that. I know that Danzou never agreed with some of your father's policies, but Homura was generally an ally."

Naruto snorted in derision. "I can't believe a lot of things that happened yesterday." His eyes darkened. He knew he could fight better than that. Why hadn't he?

Kushina sighed again, glancing around the bare kitchen. "There's nothing to be ashamed of—you were up against an ANBU. They're stronger and faster and—"

"That doesn't matter!" Naruto interrupted. "Besides, Kakashi said that I'd surpassed him! I should have been able to fight off that bastard!"

Kushina's eyebrows shot up. "Naruto, even if you do have more sheer power and skill than Kakashi, you have less than half of his experience. Besides, you fight like I used to—fists first, then your brain kicks in."

Naruto fell silent, staring at the table between them. Kushina reached up and finger-combed her hair, pulling it into a braid. She was about to scrounge up some food in Naruto's apartment, where she was staying for the time being, when he spoke up.

"The thing is," he said, focusing intently on a knot in the table. "Before everything—like the other world and the Shinigami—I would have fought back more."

Kushina ran a hand through his hair. "You were in a coma for six weeks, honey. Even with Kyuubi you can't bounce back in a matter of days, and even then there's the matter of muscle memory—"

"No. NO!" Naruto said. He pushed away from the table and paced back and forth. His fingers pulled at his hair and his face screwed up in confusion and thought. "I mean—I . . . for as long as I can remember, I've always been, always _needed to be, _moving and loud. Active. Before this, it didn't matter how injured, how tired I was or how strong my opponent was. I would have fought back more."

Kushina said nothing, just watched him. Naruto's hands clenched and his brain searched for the words he needed to find. "I—It's like now, there's two mes, another part of me. It's quiet—no, it's silent and still and _scared. _All the time now, I can feel that other _me _waiting underneath."

Naruto moved back and sat down in front of her. "There are times, like this morning, where I feel that if I'm loud, if I move, if I do something, anything wrong, I'll be terribly hurt, punished. That's the other me, the one that's been hiding for years. And there are times when the two mes are fighting and I can't decide.

"That's what happened in the courtroom," he admitted, his hands twisting together. Blue eyes snapped up to meet hers. "Part of me wanted to fight, to throw that jerk off and beat the crap out of him. Two months ago, I would have, no doubt about it. But now, that other me says I shouldn't fight. And the two sides can't agree, and I end up . . ."

The young blond trailed off. Kushina reached out and linked her fingers with his, sensing he was done. "Did this start right after you woke up from your coma?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, just in the past couple of days. Just since the first day of the trial."

"It could be because you feel helpless to help your father," she suggested. "You're used to taking care of things by fighting them, and there's nothing here that you can fight."

"No . . . I don't think that's it," he murmured. "It feels . . ."

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut. "It feels _deeper _than that. I don't know, older, maybe."

"Have you tried talking to Kyuubi about it?" Kushina asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. He just goes really deep into his cage when I do. He won't say."

"What was the first moment you felt it? Do you remember it _exactly_?" Kushina asked.

"When that priest, Bushman or something, when he walked in," Naruto said, eyes lighting up with a mixture of fear, anger, and understanding. "I bet it has something to do with him! I bet he knows! Let's find him and beat it out of him!"

Kushina chuckled, glad to see he was once more confident and energetic. "I'll talk to Tsunade, see if he's still in town, and we can go see him after your father's trial is over, okay?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about that for a minute," Naruto marveled. He dug through the pile of shopping bags on the floor and found what had to be his favorite new outfit. It was a lot like his old outfit, except with more black and the swirly symbol of the leaf stitched onto each of the arms. He grabbed a new orange undershirt and ran off to change in the bathroom. Kushina chuckled and hunted for a pen and paper. She might as well write to Tama while he changed.

* * *

The courtroom was just as packed as the day before, if not more so. Naruto glanced around and leaned in to his mother. "So, this is to determine if Dad is sane or not?"

Kushina shook her head. "I don't know. The council will have met earlier to decide the nature of the trial. They'll announce it as they start."

The members filed in, and Homura kept his impassive mask on. Things hadn't worked out quite as planned. Minato was fairly easy to manipulate-that had gone perfectly. He had been careful not to directly threaten Naruto—that would get him killed for sure. Instead, he had insinuated that others would hurt Naruto and it would be Minato's fault because he hadn't protected him.

Too simple.

He hadn't wanted to test Minato's sanity, just to get him to a point where he would be boxed in—or believe he was. He'd lied to Minato last night. He didn't have the power to push anything through the council. He, Koharu and Danzou had, and did often in the past. They'd circumvented Sarutobi on the Uchiha issue, and placed Sai on Naruto's team despite Tsunade.

But Koharu was dead, and with her went one third of their power. It would have been easy to bully most of the other council members—the majority of them were new to the council, having just been given the reins by their fathers. Middle-aged, battle-scarred, but rookies in the field of politics. They were of Minato's generation. Most of them had fought alongside him, shared drinks after good missions, and tears after bad ones.

He'd been counting on that bond.

He had never expected so many of them to see the logic. Minato was insane, no doubt about it, but Homura had fully expected that his old brothers-in-arms would rise to his defense and prevent an inquiry into his sanity.

And they hadn't. And his lack of power meant that despite what he wanted—a 'free' Yondaime on his puppet strings—he'd likely get the Fourth locked up.

Plus this meant that their deal was broken, and his weakness was revealed to the one man who had always thwarted him.

Homura leaned back in his seat as Tsunade brought the room to order. Perhaps, all things considered, it would be best if he really did send the man away. A time spent at the temple could do him a world of good. Prayer, solitude, gardening, and regular sedatives to make sure he didn't escape.

A smirk tried to fight its way onto his face, but Homura knocked it down.

Tsunade seethed as she sat back down from yelling at the loud courtroom. Damn Homura! Damn Danzou! She slammed the paper down on the bench and damned herself for failing them—Naruto and Minato. Sure, the Hokage was the strongest ninja in the village, and sure, it was her that sent ninjas on missions, but when it came to the day-to-day domestic running, well. Hokage wasn't the title you wanted for that.

She was just glad Minato wasn't here. He was unstable, but it wouldn't do him any good to hear a bunch of people doubting his sanity.

She just barely bit back the urge to slam her fist into Homura's smirking face when he rose. "Members of the council, this hearing has been convened to determine if Namikaze Minato still retains the mental capacities to be a fully functioning ninja and citizen of Konoha."

"The evidence against him includes two separate, but similar incidents. The first occurred six days ago, during which Namikaze Minato injured over twenty ANBU and killed one council member."

Tsume slammed her palm on the table. "Don't even bring that up! Witnesses have stated that Koharu ordered ANBU to kill him! He had every right to defend himself."

"And no reason," Chouza continued. "To trust that Koharu wouldn't hurt Naruto when she held a blade to his throat. That's hardly the point."

Homura inclined his head. "Very well. The first incident won't be an issue here."

Kushina narrowed her eyes. She knew that ploy. By agreeing to one illogical concession, Homura made it seem that he was reasonable, and furthermore, that he listened to reason. Of course, that made him appear vulnerable, but he had Danzou to back him up on any later logic disputes.

"But the second most surely is," Homura continued. "He agreed that for certain issues, he was under the council. A senior member of the council ordered him not to attack ANBU. Yet he did!"

"That ANBU was threatening his son!" Tsunade snapped. "He had every right—"

"To what? Defy a direct order?" Homura interrupted. "What would happen if every ninja did that? Despite orders from a superior, did whatever they wanted? Surely you understand the problems in that, _Hokage-sama."_

Tsunade folded her hands in front of her and fought to keep calm. "He defied a direct order. That calls for a court-martial, not an investigation of his sanity."

"His actions are not in questions," Homura agreed. "But his motives are."

"It is not our job to determine motives," Ibiki interjected. "No one can see into another's mind."

"No, it is a matter of trust," Homura shot back. Ibiki remained expressionless. "The ANBU that 'attacked' Uzumaki Naruto is a member and ninja of Konoha and Minato was ordered not to attack ANBU. Should he not have trusted a council member; should he not have trusted a fellow Leaf ninja?"

Homura felt victory coming. He knew that this trial would be short. "He should have—any good ninja would have, but he didn't. Couldn't rather."

"He was protecting his son!" Tsume shouted angrily. "Anybody would have done the same thing!"

"Yes, any _person_ has the right to protect their child, but when a person puts on the hitae-ate, he becomes a ninja! A ninja must follow orders despite danger to his family, a ninja must trust in his superiors who have a plan. A ninja is not a person," Homura finished.

Naruto clenched his hands until blood welled up beneath his fingernails. Here was the old speech: ninjas are tools. He wasn't a tool, and neither was his dad! He moved to stand, but Kushina clapped a hand on his arm and pulled him back down. _Wait, trust me,_ she mouthed. Naruto blew his breath out heavily, but did as she asked.

"I agree, it is no crime to protect your son," Homura said generously, spreading his hands. "But his actions yesterday prove that he cannot determine between real and supposed threats, and that he will attack anyone who provokes him. It isn't his fault—he cannot help himself. What happens when one of Naruto's peers is sparring with him? Can a fellow Chuunin really hold off our most powerful Hokage?

"I said before the issue is trust," Homura finished. The courtroom was silent, contemplating his words. One glance showed that he had almost all of them in the palm of his hand. "Can we trust a man with Minato's power and mental instability on the streets of Konoha?"

A door opened in the back and just as Homura was about to put the issue to a vote, someone else spoke up.

"Here's an idea: shut the hell up and give the guy a break!"

All eyes turned to the back, where two men had entered. Kakashi had finally decided to show up at the trial, and he had brought a friend. Homura's mouth turned down as he spotted the long mane of white hair. To think they had actually considered this porn-writing rogue for the position of Hokage!

Jiraiya stepped inside the courtroom, leaning heavily on Kakashi. He had insisted on real clothes, and having only one arm, it had taken a while to get dressed. It was also slow going as they had to walk from the hospital to the courtroom, as he was still _technically _in critical condition and shouldn't be moving at all.

_Looks like I arrived just in time, though. _

"Have you no shame, Homura?" Jiraiya demanded. "This man was the Yellow Flash, your Hokage! He led you through the last great ninja war, and defeated Kyuubi. In doing so, I might add, he willingly sentenced himself to eternity in the Shinigami's stomach, an eternity of combat. I didn't see you jumping up to stop him or take his place, and I somehow doubt you'd come through sixteen years of _torture _still able to walk and talk.

"Now, Minato's trying to do what he's always done: protect that which he loves. He did it for Konoha for almost twenty years, and now, you're condemning him for it! He's always listened to his gut, and yesterday, I'm betting that his gut was telling him not to trust any ANBU that would listen to Danzou instead of the Hokage!"

That sent a murmur through the courtroom and Homura hissed in anger. Danzou rose and tried to speak, but, weak as he was, Jiraiya barreled on.

"I was never in ANBU, but I'm pretty sure that one flick of the wrist isn't code for 'hold the Hokage's son hostage long enough to make his father attack you then fall back.' Seems kinds _odd _that an ANBU would be able to deduce that from one hand gesture, and that the exact ANBU that knew that random, secret code would be placed as a guard in the courtroom."

He shrugged. "I'm just sayin'."

Jiraiya grinned and leaned on Kakashi. He hated to admit it, but even walking and talking had tired him out. He knew he had to wrap it up and get out. He had to finish on a really strong note, so that Tsunade could put the issue to a vote and get Minato acquitted immediately.

"The Minato I know always does whatever it takes to protect the people he loves. The way I see it, it's a Hokage's, a ninja's, hell, a _citizen's _job to do what's best for Konoha. That makes him or her fully functional, right?

"Minato loves Konoha. _He loves this village! _God knows why, but that means he's gonna do whatever it takes to protect it, to keep it and all the people in it safe! Now, you tell me, _Homura-sama_, how exactly does that make him insane?"

The silence was thick enough to cut with a knife. Jiraiya sombered up his face and kept the glint of triumph from his eyes. He knew, he _knew, _Homura was pissed. The old man thought he'd had it in the bag, but now it was all blown to pieces. Time to finish.

"In my book, that makes him a damn better man than most."

With that, Jiraiya nodded to Kakashi, and the two slowly turned and made their way out of the courtroom. As soon as the doors closed, Homura opened his mouth, but Tsunade was half a beat ahead of him.

"I put forth a motion to acquit Namikaze Minato of all questions to his sanity, with the provision that he see a counselor for post-traumatic stress syndrome. For the death of Ukatane Koharu, he shall be until further notice, prohibited from exercising any duties of Hokage, and be given the working title of elite Jounin."

"Seconded," Ibiki added.

"All in favor," Tsunade continued, rolling right over Homura's attempts at objections. She did a quick count of the hands in the air. "Passed, by a vote of nine to two. This court is dismissed."

Tsunade was the first one off the bench and over to the two thrilled Uzumakis. Naruto was grinning from ear to ear. "Yeah! That was the best, Obaa-san! You and Ero-sennin knocked that old bastard on his ass! That was awesome!"

Kushina wrapped Tsunade in a hug. "Can we go get him out of jail, now?"

* * *

_Yamanaka Ino sobbed as she scratched at the stone walls. She didn't know how long she'd been in the cell, but it felt like forever. _

_Time meant nothing, so she had no idea how long ago it was that she noticed the crack in one of the stone walls. At first it was so thin, she was sure she had imagined it, but it continued to grow, until she could fit a finger, then a hand inside._

_She'd also discovered that the edges were softer, and had a tendency to crumble. _

_She was so close! Almost her entire torso could fit through now, and though she had no idea what was on the other side, it had to be better than this! One of her nails ripped off as she scraped at the stone, but it was a small price to pay for the huge chunk that fell to the ground. _

_Crying with relief, Ino pushed herself into the hole, wiggling forward until her legs were all the way in. She reached up and felt one more layer, but this was thin, like cloth, easily torn. She pulled at it and a huge hole opened. Light poured in—_

--and Ino winced as the bright hospital lights seared her eyes. She raised a hand up to block the light and with it came all kinds of tubes and wires.

"The hospital," she whispered. "Oh, finally, I'm out."

* * *

It certainly was useful, having two sets of genetic codes. Especially when one of those codes opened the scrolls to all kinds of sealed jutsus and experiment information. The snake summoning was also useful, he thought, watching the python eat Orochimaru's loyal guards. No wonder the Sannin loved snakes—they were rather cute, all bloated and full like that.

The man once known as Kabuto poured over scrolls and scrolls of Orochimaru's hidden library. Here was listed how he'd created his immortality jutsu, and how to raise the dead. He chuckled, thinking of how Sasuke loved looking at the picture of his poor, dead parents. The boy would love to get his hands on these, now, wouldn't he?

Oh, such information on the Sharingan, as well! How to control it, how to activate it. A good deal on how to transfer it—Kakashi and his dead martyr being the only known example. Still, what a treasure trove.

There was full documentation of the curse seal, and the search for the First' power. A lot of information on the tailed beasts, and how the Shodai controlled them. At first, Kabuto thought it was just for Akatsuki, but some voice—Orochimaru's ghost, his remains? Kabuto giggled at the thought—whispered that it was more. It was bigger.

So he searched some more, and found the gold mine. What the old snake had been working on for years. Since before he had left Konoha, in fact. Since a mission to destroy an experimental facility in Lightning, it looked like.

Kabuto threw his head back and laughed delightedly as he put the pieces together. Everything had been so well thought out!

The priests, cooperation with Akatsuki, the resurrection jutsu.

The end result was amazing, Kabuto agreed, or would have been, had everything gone according to plan.

But it hadn't. Such a shame. And Orochimaru would have lost so much in the transfer!

Kabuto left the library and took a walk outside to think. He could improve on the plan. Yes, improve on it. But how?

* * *

--

* * *

Oh mai goodness! What will Kabuto come up with?

All of it is tying together now. Some of you are exceptionally clever, and I wouldn't be surprised if you've figured it all out. For those of you that haven't don't feel bad. I'm making it as obscure as possible.

Heh, yeah, Mina's got PTSS (syndrome or disorder, I don't think it matters) and he's gonna be a Jounin again! I got that idea from Star Trek. Brownie points to any fellow nerds who can identify where it's from.

Oh, as for the council/Hokage thing: I see it as a division of power. Hokage handles matters of security, and the council handles domestic matters like trade, food shortages, etc. There is obviously some overlap and the council can overrule the Hokage on issues with a large enough majority. All the rest of the crap, like putting Sai on Naruto's team, was backroom politics, not straight-up. That's how it's going to work in my universe unless somebody can provide me with proof otherwise.

And I have to wonder how many people will review saying something I just addressed.


	26. Chapter 22

So, I know that this is really late. But to compensate, I've already uploaded the next (and last) chapter. Unless you're reading this within the first five minutes of uploading, or something goes wrong with the site, it should be up and ready to read.

Ah, it's drawing to a close. So sad.

You know what else is sad? That 'great authors' like JKR and Kishimoto must make their characters (Harry, Shikamaru and Naruto) grow up by killing off their mentors (Sirius, Dumbledore, Asuma and Jiraiya). Honestly, there are other ways, ways that don't involve tears and sadness.

Chapter 22

The hospital room wasn't exactly the best place for a joyful celebration, but considering Jiraiya's condition, they really didn't have much of a choice. Tsunade was already about to burst a blood vessel because he'd dragged himself out of the hospital and halfway across town. The only reason she hadn't ripped him a new one was because he had saved Minato's behind. Besides, if Minato had actually been sent away, Tsunade was sure that she wouldn't have been able to stop Kushina and Naruto from busting him out and that would have led to a whole world of trouble.

She knew that she needed to talk to him soon, mostly about his arm. Had she been able to get to it just a few weeks ago, she could have done something. There were medical jutsus for that sort of thing—the black book that Naruto had received from Kabuto mentioned that one of the Akatsuki members had lost both his arms, but they'd been repaired. Unfortunately, it had been seven weeks since Jiraiya's arm had been blasted off. The chakra pathways had reformed, reconnected. To do any sort of reattachment, she would need to sever them again and connect them to any new limb. She'd spoken with the Hyuugas, the masters of the chakra network, and they'd said that because of the delicacy of the network, even if she managed to successfully attach any appendage, the odds of him being able to use it in battle were negligible. The connection sites would be too fragile to handle the mass amounts of chakra.

The deadline for any reattachment was fast approaching, and if Jiraiya ever wanted to unscrew a bottle lid again, the operation would need to be in the next week. They needed to discuss options. If he decided on another human arm, from a ninja who'd signed as a donor, they needed to find an arm of appropriate size and coloring.

Despite the time crunch, she just couldn't make herself break up the reunion in front of her. It seemed as though if Naruto gave Minato focus, Kushina reminded him of his gentle, loving side, and Jiraiya made him smile. Tsunade watched him interact, thinking it was almost like having the old Minato back.

"It seems like I'll never be out of your debt, sensei," Minato said with a smile.

"Damn right you won't," Jiraiya chuckled weakly. One of the nurses brought pillows in and adjusted them behind his back. Tsunade nodded at her gratefully. She had purposely sent all of the nurses under fifty to the opposite side of the hospital. Even laid up in the hospital, missing an arm, Jiraiya was still Jiraiya.

"I taught him everything he knows," the sage preened. He leered at Kushina and winked. "I mean _everything."_

Naruto guffawed as Minato's face turned a most vivid shade of red. The former Hokage's lips twitched. "Yeah, by getting me drunk and throwing me in brothel when I was fourteen."

"_Brothel?" _Kushina snapped. Minato's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "And how many of the ladies of the night did you . . . get to know?"

He scratched the back of his head. "Ah, well . . . ahem, uh—"

"Give the guy a break, honey," he said, a terrible grin splitting his face. "Despite his past sins, he hasn't had any in sixteen years."

Minato and Naruto buried their faces in their hands in identical expressions of embarrassment, while Kushina raised an eyebrow. "You think _I_ have?"

"Oh, dear _god_!" Naruto cried. He sank down in the chair, as if trying to melt into the floor.

Kakashi, who had entered in the last five minutes, snickered. "He does the same thing when I do this." Kakashi flipped his little green book open and stuck a page in front of Naruto's face. The teen went into mini convulsions, slipping completely out of his seat and flopping onto the floor. A mix of anguished groans, disgusted gagging sounds and shuddering 'no's.

Frowning, Tsunade grabbed it out of his hands. "There aren't any pictures in this."

Kakashi's eye curved happily. "I know. That's why it's so funny."

This sent Jiraiya into a fresh bout of laughter. Minato frowned and reached out to grab the book out of Kakashi's hands. "What is this?" he demanded. A single golden eyebrow raised in bemusement. "_Icha Icha Violence_?"

"Best-selling sequel to _Icha Icha Paradise,"_ Jiraiya grinned.

Minato paged through it and his eyes slowly widened. His head tilted as he stopped and read one page in particular. "I—I don't think that's physically possible, sensei."

"Oh, did you get to the part with the peanut butter and blow dryer?" Kakashi asked excitedly. Minato nodded uncertainly as Jiraiya chuckled. "Yeah, I love that part. Wish it was possible."

Kushina chewed her lip, considering the scene she was reading over Minato's shoulder. "I think it's almost possible, except that the peanut butter makes things too goey. Maybe with whipped cream instead."

Tsunade interceded on Naruto's behalf. "I'd suggest you direct the conversation elsewhere if you want the brat to live much longer."

Kakashi sniggered as he checked his student on the floor. "He'll have to get used to it. With Jiraiya, myself and Kushina around, there'll probably be no stop to it."

"Please don't kill my son," Minato pleaded, smiling.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Oh, you won't be saying that in a couple of days, when you get a taste of how annoyingly persistent he can be," he said.

Naruto dragged himself up off the floor and shook an accusing finger at Jiraiya. "Hey! That persistence got me the Rasengan in a month, _and _it's what got my dad out of the Shinigami's stomach! Don't knock it!"

He pulled himself all the way back into the chair and glared at his teacher. "And I'm not that annoying."

Kakashi, Tsunade and Jiraiya all laughed uproariously at that.

Minato brought Jiraiya out of the hilarity with a simple question. "How did your other book do? The one with Naruto?"

"Eh?" Naruto made a confused face. "When did Ero-Sennin write a book about me?"

Kushina laughed. "Not about you, honey."

"Oh, so it's a coincidence that the old pervert wrote a book with a character that had my name?" Naruto demanded. Feeling very proud of himself for that incontrovertible proof of _something, _Naruto sat back, folded his arms and waited for someone to acknowledge how clever he was.

"Actually, we named you after that character," Minato revealed. "We hoped you'd grow up to be like him."

Naruto stared blankly at his father. His eyes drifted to the side as he contemplated this, the origin of his name. Minato waited expectantly, and although Jiraiya would never show it, he, too, wanted to see Naruto's reaction.

"_Augh!" _Naruto suddenly cried, clutching at his head. "I'm named after one of Ero-Sennin's pervy novels!"

Minato and Kushina laughed, but Jiraiya was pretty miffed. "What? You think that's all I've written?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered immediately.

Jiraiya huffed and started to fold his arms, but stopped as he only had one arm. "That's going to take some getting used to."

"I actually need to talk to Jiraiya about that," Tsunade said, stepping forward. "And he needs rest."

Jiraiya whined. "Aw, but I've been laying around for . . . how long?"

"Almost two months," Tsunade answered.

"Two months!" Jiraiya cried. "But I've missed the deadline! I was supposed to send in the plot outline for the next _Icha Icha _installment."

"If you'd like, I can send it in," Kakashi volunteered casually.

"Ha!" Jiraiya said. "You'd just read it. Over and over and over again. You wouldn't send it in."

"Alright, everybody out," Tsunade ordered. She folded her arms and glared at the other inhabitants of the room. Quickly, they filed out, flashing the bedridden man grins and encouraging smiles.

Jiraiya watched them go and was struck with how lonely his room was. Four white walls, a bed, a nightstand. At least he had a window. He chalked the funny feeling in his chest up to medication, rather than a desire to see flowers from a loved one at his bedside. He knew Naruto wouldn't think of it, and Tsunade wouldn't admit that she cared enough. For three years, they had been his only family.

"Hey, you couldn't even bother to bring me some flowers?" Jiraiya demanded, faking anger at Tsunade.

She snorted and closed the door firmly. "Wouldn't you rather get flowers from some young, beautiful woman who'll have sex with anyone during a sake-induced stupor?"

Jiraiya reached out and tugged on her hand. "You think any of them would send me flowers? They don't care."

"Oh, so I don't care because I didn't send you flowers," Tsunade snapped, pulling his chart off the end of the bed.

Jiraiya waggled a finger at her. "I didn't say that."

"You know I worked on you," she continued, apparently not having heard him. "When we found you, when that silly little frog showed up in a pond with your limp, bleeding, mostly-dead body, do you know who found you like that? _I did!" _

Jiraiya frowned as Tsunade continued her rant. "So despite the fact that I found you and I saved your life and I've been researching ways to get another arm for you, since you managed to get yours _blown off_, you're angry that I didn't get you goddamned flowers!"

She slammed the chart down on the end of the bed and glared at him. Under normal circumstances, Jiraiya would have quailed and fled from the room, but that wasn't going to happen for two reasons. One was that with his injuries and the trip to the trial, he wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. Besides that, he'd have to pull out IVs and heart monitors and things from very sensitive places. The other was that he had known Tsunade for the majority of his life. He knew when she was annoyed, when she was angry enough to smash things and when her anger was a mask.

He had a snarky comment ready, but it died as he took in her overbright eyes, flushed cheeks, and white knuckles. This was his Tsunade, his former, temperamental teammate and eternal, unattainable love.

So he just sighed and smiled and said, "It's just nice to see that you care, even if you never wrote me that love letter."

Tsunade snorted and folded her arms, remembering their first meeting as preteen genin when he'd given her his name _"so you can send me a love letter." _She shook her head. "I still say you should have called me for backup."

Jiraiya frowned for a moment before remembering their last conversation. "No way. Absolutely not. This village needs you. Besides, he was too strong for just me. The only reason I'm alive is because he thought I was dead."

"Yeah, well, when you get out of here, I'm going to beat you right back in," Tsunade threatened.

Jiraiya sighed again, his eyes slowly drifting shut. His injuries and the day's events had taken their toll on him. "When I get out, we're going to have a nice, quiet dinner followed by a long night of—"

"Still think rejection makes you stronger, huh?" Tsunade asked, unfolding a blanket and tucking it around him.

"Mm-hmm," Jiraiya confirmed, half asleep.

"Well, you're gonna need to find another way of getting stronger, Jiraiya," Tsunade informed him, closing the blinds. "Because you're paying for our date."

Turning off the lights, she detected a small hitch in his breath before it settled into the deep rhythm of sleep. She'd have to come in early tomorrow morning, but short of pumping him full of amphetamines, there wasn't much she would do to keep him awake. With a small smile, she closed the door securely.

* * *

Naruto, Kushina and Minato earned a lot of stares as they made their way to Naruto's apartment. It wasn't exactly large or clean and the three would be cramped, but until Tsunade could cut through all the red tape concerning Minato and Kushina's 'deaths,' it was really all the three had to their names. Still, the sight of two famous, _dead _ninja (Kushina had dyed her hair back to red, to help Minato feel at ease) strolling through town, flanking the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki garnered more than a bit of attention, but the trio didn't notice, as they were too wrapped up in each other.

"And that old geezer-rat-bastard almost had everybody convinced you were nuts, when Ero-Sennin walks, actually limps, in, and he verbally bitch-slapped Ho-whatever and made everybody see that you weren't nuts at all because you were just doing what any good person would do—"

The smile faded from Minato's face as the first part of Naruto's neverending sentence sank in. "Wait."

It took Kushina and Naruto a minute to realize that Minato was no longer with them, and they spun as one to see him standing frozen in the middle of the street.

"Wait, what was this trial about?" Minato asked, his eyes narrow and distant.

Kushina glanced around. As if they weren't getting enough stares, it seemed people were even more interested when things didn't go well. Like moths to a flame, villagers began to edge toward Minato.

"Let's discuss this at the apartment," Kushina said, wrapping an arm around on of his. "Come on. Let's get out of the street."

"No!" Minato shouted. The gossip vultures made no pretense of doing something else now. They stared openly and hungrily. "I want to know what happened! Did he go back on his word? Did he?"

Kushina alternated between glaring at the ring of villagers and tugging on Minato's arm, but he was doing an excellent impression of an Immovable Object. Naruto came to his father's other side and gripped his bicep.

"Come on, Dad," he coaxed then bared his teeth at the closest villager. "Come on, let's go home, come on."

They began half-dragging, half-steering Minato through the village. Naruto stopped for a moment to create twenty clones, which cleared their path and kept the rubberneckers back. He figured there would be some sort of rumor about how the Kyuubi brat was kidnapping the Yondaime to get revenge, but it really didn't matter. He'd been dealing with bad press all his life.

Finally, they arrived at Naruto's apartment building. The trio went up the stairs and Naruto could feel his father trembling with rage. He was running low on self-control and each step seemed to bring him closer to exploding. Without even realizing it, Naruto was chanting 'hold on' under his breath into his father's ear.

The front door slamming shut seemed to open the floodgates.

"_That son of a bitch! That dirty, rotten, stinking, yellow-bellied traitor!" _Minato roared. He picked up a scroll and hurled it across the room, embedding it deeply in one of the walls. Naruto opened his mouth to protest—the landlord wouldn't be too happy about that—but Minato wasn't finished. "He has no code of honor anymore! That bastard! I'll show him how ninjas deal with a back-stabber!"

"Are you talking about Homura?" Kushina asked.

"Who else?" Minato shouted. The people to the left started banging on the walls and Naruto slammed right back.

Kushina blew out a breath. Minato had started to flip out when Naruto was talking about the trial—if she wasn't mistaken, the parts where Naruto had mentioned the determination of insanity. And Homura was the person . . . _oh shit. _

"What deal did Homura make with you, Minato?" Kushina asked slowly.

Minato spun to her and smashed his fist into the table, turning it to splinters. ("Hey!" Naruto cried.) "He said, he _swore _that he wouldn't push it through, he wouldn't try me for insanity, he wouldn't push it through! But he did! How dare he!"

"Minato. Minato!" Kushina snapped, drawing his attention. "What did you promise in return?"

The elite Jounin snarled and kicked remnants of Naruto's table across the floor. "A favor."

"Did he say what kind of favor?" Kushina inquired.

Blond spikes swayed back and forth. "Just a favor. But it doesn't matter, since he didn't keep his end, I won't keep mine."

"That's fine, that's fine," she soothed.

"Why did you agree to that?" Naruto demanded. "You know that Tsunade could have appealed or something."

Minato ran his hands through his hair. "But that would take time, time where you would be vulnerable. I can't protect you—"

"_Protect me?!" _Naruto exploded. "I don't need your protection!"

"The _hell _you don't!" Minato shouted. "From what I've seen—"

"Oh, yeah, you've known me, what, a week?" Naruto bellowed. "I got on just fine for sixteen years without you! I can probably keep it up, _thanks!" _

Kushina stepped in and held her hands out. _Never thought _I'd _be the sensible one. _"Okay, okay, both of you calm down!"

"I don't need either of you!" Naruto shouted, glaring at his mother. "Neither of you were around for the last sixteen years, you have no right—"

Minato got, if possible, even angrier. "Don't talk to your mother that—"

"What kind of mother gives up on her own child?" Naruto demanded. His eyes and throat were burning, but he refused to let the tears fall, turning instead to anger. "Orochimaru told you that I was dead and you just accepted it and lived in the valley without even trying—"

"_That's enough!" _Kushina shrieked. "Don't you _dare _talk about what happened then! You have no idea what was going on, what I went through!"

"_What you went through?" _Naruto roared. "You abandoned me!"

"Don't shout at her!" Minato snapped.

"I did not give up on you!" Kushina cried, her hands clenching into fists.

Naruto stomped forward. "Oh, really, cause it sure seemed that way to me! I lost somebody, too, Sasuke! He was like a brother and he left and I didn't give up on him! I trained for three years to bring him back! That's not giving someone up! Rolling over and not even trying to find me sounds like giving up in my book."

"I _did not give up on you!" _Kushina screamed,tears streaming down her face. _"_Orochimaru showed up with papers, pages of notes on that goddamned seal in your father's handwriting. He showed me experiments, from a facility in Lightning, about _Areah Broah—_what had supposedly inspired Minato.I sent people to Konoha, but all they could find out was that Minato had defeated the Kyuubi."

Her breath hiccupped and Minato moved forward to comfort her, but she waved him off. "Once I had recovered from the birth—have you ever had a baby, much less twins? You're not up and running in a few days—I came down to Konoha myself. I tried talking to Sarutobi, but he was out, negotiating with Sand because we needed allies. I searched _everywhere _for you," she whispered. Her eyes drifted to the side into memory. "You were nowhere to be found in Konoha. I did find Minato's grave, though. What was I supposed to think?"

She sank into a chair, her face buried in her hands. Naruto and Minato were silent, unsure of what to say in the face of her sobbing. "D-do you know what it's like?" she moaned. "To lose a child?"

Kushina raised her head and met his eyes. "You have _no idea _how much I love you, Naruto."

Naruto's throat clogged. He shuffled his feet and stared at the remnants of most of his furniture. Guilt wormed its way into his body, even though rationally, he had no way of knowing that she'd tried. "Is—is there anything I can do?"

The redhead sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "I know it might be uncomfortable for you," she admitted. "But could I just have one hug?"

Naruto must have made a face at what he considered an odd request, because she bit her lip and explained, "I never got a chance to hold you."

With a sigh, Naruto slowly knelt down in front of his mother. He tentatively opened his arms and she did the same. It was far from the comfortable embrace of mother and son; Naruto had rarely really been held before and the sensation made his skin itchy.

Kushina closed her eyes and curled her fingers in his hair. Sixteen years late, but she finally had her baby boy back. She could sense the unease in him, and though she wanted to keep him in her arms forever, she squeezed him once and let go. "So, tell us about this surrogate brother of yours—Sasuke, was his name?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, just let me fix my stuff."

He crouched down in the pile of rubble and started to sort out what was table and what was chair. It wasn't hard—all of his furniture was mismatched to begin with and in a fit of decorating, he'd painted everything bright, horribly contrasting colors. The table was orange and the chair was neon green. Of course, the ugly ones were the only ones he was able to afford at the time. He'd sorted them out in a few minutes and standing, did the repairing jutsu that the Minato of the other world had taught him.

"Where'd you learn that?" Minato asked as the furniture molded itself back together.

" . . . while traveling," Naruto evaded.

"So, this Sasuke sounds like an idiot," Kushina noted. "Or at least as stubborn as you."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, and he called me the moron."

"Is this by any chance Uchiha Sasuke?" Minato asked. "Fugaku's younger son."

Naruto nodded and settled into a chair. "That's the one. Biggest jerk in Fire country."

"How did Fugaku and the Uchiha clan take it, when he left?" Kushina wondered. "Did they disown him?"

A grimace stretched across Naruto's face. "Ah, well, see at that point, Sasuke _was _the Uchiha clan. When he was seven, his brother, Itachi . . ."

Naruto told them the story about Itachi's betrayal, Sasuke's vow of vengeance, Orochimaru's cursed seal, Sasuke's betrayal, Naruto's training, Sasuke's capture, and the results of the trial. He finished and took a deep breath.

"Wow," Kushina said, then threw her head back and laughed. "You're as stubborn as a brick wall, aren't you?"

Naruto laughed and grinned. "Kakashi always called me Konoha's number one knucklehead ninja."

* * *

--

* * *

So, that's it. See? Kushina didn't give up on him. And yeah, she's ubertough, but I can't imagine she would be immune to the pain of losing a child.


	27. Chapter 23

Ah, the last chapter. There will be a part 3 (the last part I have planned), tenatively titled "Rescue me." Or something like that. In any case, don't look for it until August. I'm leaving for CORTRAMID in San Diego, and I won't have my laptop or the time to write, especially during Marine Week. Camp Pendleton in the middle of summer, yay.

I'm terribly afraid that this middle part will go the way of other middles, like LOTR or POTC. Heck, Aladdin for that matter. But if it does, it's not the end of the world. I'm in good company. But it needed to be said and I did the best I could.

If you want to complain to me about how evil I am, I will be in town until July 9 and working on my other stories.

Chapter 23

"Hey, wake up!"

Sasuke opened his eyes and turned to the tough redhead standing outside his cell door. She raised an eyebrow as he swung his legs off the bed. "Get up," Kushina ordered, coming forward to grab the bars. "We need to have a talk about our mutual acquaintance."

* * *

They'd come in and give her food every once in a while, take her for a walk so she could answer nature's call. Aside from her capture, the men in the red and black cloaks had been not unkind. She just avoided the one with gills.

Tama watched them carefully, memorized their movement patterns and where exactly to hit them to incapacitate them the best. She'd heard them talking and knew that they wouldn't do her any real harm. It would defeat the purpose if the hostage was dead or mutilated. She also knew that if they didn't exactly fear her parents' wrath, bringing Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina down on them wasn't a good option.

She wasn't a ninja. Her mother had refused to teach her any combat skills beyond basic self defense. She'd compensated by keeping Tama locked up in the valley for her entire life. Tama smirked, she was an outstanding medic-nin and knew the human body intimately. Even if she wasn't trained, she knew how to take each of them down.

Tama settled back in her bed to meditate. It was the best way to keep track of all of them, after all. She'd always been able to easily detect memorize chakra signatures and trails. Her mother called it a special gift, but to be honest, it just gave her a headache most of the time. In meditation, she could either block them out or heighten their sensitivity. When she meditated, it was rather like a "field of vision" just for chakra. In addition to the ones who'd kidnapped her, she could sense three more people. One had water-based chakra, so she assumed he was a Mist nin. Another had mass amounts of power: unstable, dangerous, barely controlled. The third was a woman, and Tama suspected that they shared skills in sensing and identifying chakra.

It would be more difficult to escape with three more rogue nins hanging around, but not impossible. Her plan was all about timing, stealth, and speed, which was why she needed to wait for her knee to heal. She knew the general area of where they were, just not the exact coordinates. The valley was slightly closer, but it would take her a while to find the entrance, so that left her with getting to and inside Konoha.

She took a deep breath and sent her chakra senses out even farther, trying to see if there was a village or house nearby so she wouldn't bring her kidnappers down upon them. Just at the edge of her "field of vision" she detected another chakra moving fast towards their position.

A frown worked its way onto her face as she tried to analyze the newcomer. It seemed as though his chakra was two separate chakras which were at the same time trying to merge and battling for control. She shuddered as he approached. Whatever else he may have been, this man was undeniably evil.

* * *

The remaining members of Akatsuki, all five of them, plus the remnants of Hebi sat around a long, oval table. Of the three from Hebi, Karin felt the most intimidated. Juugo wasn't _intimidated _by anyone, and Suigetsu was too stupid to realize he was in the presence of legendary missing nins. Even on the off-chance he did understand he was sitting down with powerhouses of evil, he was too busy drooling over the big, scaly sword that the Blue man had strapped to his back.

She, however, understood it all intimately, as she could practically feel their chakras pressing down upon her. She knew where the girl was, weak as her chakra signature might be, and she also knew that someone was coming. She'd felt it before—when that blond moron had blown himself up to get at her Sasuke. It was a creepy combination of Orochimaru and Kabuto's chakra. She'd tried to convince herself multiple times that it couldn't be the snake. Sasuke had killed him, and when Uchiha Sasuke killed something, it had better stay dead, or have his hot, angry ass on it again.

The thought of Sasuke's behind got her so distracted she nearly missed the start of the meeting.

"You all know why we're here."

It was the one in the orange mask. She'd sensed him, too, when Sasuke'd been fighting Dei-dumbass. He was the kind of man who'd learned to hide his power well.

"Look, not to be rude," Kisame interrupted. "But ain't we going after the Kyuubi brat? Shouldn't we use the little fishie we captured to get him?"

Konan's face remained impassive, but her voice held reprimand, and Kisame quieted after she said, "Do you really think her parents will trade one child for another?"

"Do you really think they'll give us Sasuke?" Suigetsu demanded. "Even if she is Yondaime's daughter, the village doesn't know her. They're probably thrilled to have their Uchiha back."

Madara, formerly known as Tobi, shook his head. "No, they won't give us Sasuke. We won't demand him, either."

Though no one voiced it, the question remained palpable in the air. It was Pein who came to the correct conclusion first. "We'll request the Jinchuuriki. They'll refuse, amp up the guards around him, and send out parties to rescue the girl. That will be our opening to enter Konoha and escape with Sasuke."

Madara nodded. "Exactly."

"We have the combined strength of Akatsuki and Hebi," Suigetsu snapped, leaning forward. "Why do we need to use this . . . subterfuge?"

"Ooh, big word from the fish man," Karin said, smirking. "Did that make your peanut-sized brain hurt?"

Kisame grasped the handle of his sword. "You got a thing against fish, little salmon?"

"Fish are stupid and useless," she shot back. "But sharks aren't."

The blue behemoth laughed at that statement and sent a sharp-toothed smirk to the fuming Suigetsu. He bared his teeth, revealing his pointy canines, which failed to impress Kisame as the man had either been born with a mouth full of fangs or had filed them _all _to points.

"Then how are we going to get the Kyuubi?" Konan asked. "We need him to complete the process since we capture the eighth last month."

Madara nodded and folded his hands. "That is where Sasuke will be instrumental. He has proven that he can subdue the Kyuubi using his Sharingan. We also know that the Jinchuuriki still considers him a friend, and will be unlikely to fight to kill. He will capture the Jinchuuriki for us."

"Look, I've fought the brat—" Kisame started.

"As have I," Madara cut him off. "And he is no great threat to any of us, unless he calls on the Bijuu for help."

"In that case, can't you just control the Kyuubi?" Zetsu's white half asked.

Madara shook his head. "I am no longer young, and I will need my strength for the sealing process, as will all of you. Since we are missing so many, it will take much longer."

"Hebi, it will be your job to get Sasuke," he informed the group of three.

"Why us?" Juugo asked, breaking his silence.

"If Konoha believes that a small group of young missing-nins freed Sasuke, they will not send their full force. Akatsuki can deal with that easily," Madara explained. "We could not handle Konoha, still the strongest of the five nations, declaring war. Strong as we are, down by half, we could not defeat an entire hidden village."

Kisame chuckled as light bulbs—or candles in their cases—went off above the young members of Hebi. He shook his head sadly at them. To be that oblivious to the strength of your allies, your enemies. They just didn't make criminals the way they used to. He turned back to Madara. "So, what will we do with the little girl?"

"We leave her here," Madara answered. "Unless the man coming toward us has a better solution."

* * *

"So, if you attach someone else's arm," Jiraiya said. "I would never be able to channel chakra through it again."

Tsunade nodded as she led him carefully to a bench. They were out in the garden by the hospital. One of the hospital managers had decided it would be therapeutic, good for the patients to get fresh air. Despite the Sannin's protests, Tsunade had pushed him out in a wheelchair and made him sit down on 

one of the benches. She settled next to him. "Yes. The combination of unfamiliar chakra paths and the fragility of the connection sites would make it impossible to use it in battle."

"So, no more handsigns, no more jutsus," Jiraiya mused. "Unless I was able to only channel chakra through my right arm."

"I know you have good chakra control," Tsunade said. "But can you really go against forty years of training? It would take you years to learn to fight with one arm and not the other."

Jiraiya sighed. "Yeah. So if I take the arm, I can't be a ninja."

"That's right," Tsunade sighed. "I know it'll be hard to give up fighting, but—"

"Are you kidding?" Jiraiya exclaimed. "I'm one of the Legendary Sannin, the great Toad Sage Jiraiya, known for my prowess and skill in battlefield and bedroom."

"Bedroom?" Tsunade scoffed. "Try any flat horizontal or vertical surface."

Jiraiya frowned. "More accuracy, less ring. But that's not the point. I've been thinking it's time to lay down my mantle, let Naruto become a legend on his own. I thought I'd done everything, achieved the highest level of honor and skill I could get."

"Will you get over yourself?" Tsunade snapped.

The white-haired pervert threw his head back and laughed. "You know what, Tsunade-hime?"

She rolled her eyes, but didn't respond.

"You know what? Come on, say it, say it."

Still, she didn't answer or give into him.

"It's just one little word. You know what?"

Tsunade sighed. "What?"

"I'm going to become the first one-armed shinobi!"

Tsunade turned her head to stare at him. His face was pale and drawn, but full of life and excitement. Her stomach dropped. "You're kidding, right?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Nope."

"How exactly are you going to fight with one arm?" Tsunade demanded.

"Well, obviously, I'll have to invent a whole new taijutsu system, to compensate," Jiraiya said. "And as for jutsus, well, Naruto told me about this kid from Mist who could do one-handed jutsus."

"Really?" Tsunade asked.

Jiraiya nodded. "Oh yeah. It was when his genin team was in the Land of Waves. Fought a couple of missing-nins. That's when Naruto got it in his head that he'd change the shinobi way of life. Make ninjas more than weapons."

"Kids got dreams as big as the skies," Tsunade said. "Come on, let's get you inside."

"Oh-hoh-hoh," Jiraiya chuckled. "He's not the only one with big dreams. I'm going to learn a bunch of new jutsus, invent a new taijutsu style, and seduce your panties off on our date."

Tsunade grunted and stood up. "I half-hoped you'd forgotten."

"Why did you agree?" Jiraiya asked.

The Hokage sighed heavily. "When you left to fight the Akatsuki leader . . . I told myself that if you came back, well, I'd give you a chance. Just for the hell of it."

She spun around and placed her hands on her hips. "One date. That's all you're getting. When I don't like it, you don't ask me out anymore."

Jiraiya grinned. "But if you _do _like it?"

"I won't," she assured him. "Now, come on. We need to get you back inside."

"When do you want my report about the Akatsuki leader?" Jiraiya asked. "I've remembered almost all of it."

Tsunade pursed her lips as she began to wheel him back into the hospital. "Akatsuki's been lying low for a while," she informed him. "Wait a few more days, see if you can recall all of it. In the meantime, prepare the rest of your report and rest."

* * *

Sasuke made a face as another visitor approached. _Surprise, surprise. _He'd already received one visit from an Uzumaki, and she'd kept him up half the night. It was clear where Naruto got his ability to talk endlessly from. Now the famous blond himself was here to chew Sasuke's ear off.

He was not prepared for Naruto's first sentence. "I talked to Itachi, right before you killed him."

The tension in the room suddenly shot up and became so thick it could have been cut with a knife. Naruto, either oblivious or uncaring, didn't notice and kept talking. "He asked me what I would do, if you attacked Konoha. Would I risk the entirety of my village to save your life?"

Sasuke didn't respond.

"I told him I refused to make that choice," Naruto finished. "I would find a way to save your life and save Konoha."

"How?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. But I hope I'll never have to. Are you going to make me make that choice, Sasuke?"

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke inquired.

"Will you ever attack Konoha, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, his blue eyes intense.

Sasuke grunted and shifted his eyes just to the left of Naruto's head.

"Will you?" he persisted.

Sasuke refused to respond, instead focusing intently on a patch of wall. The conversation he'd had with Uzumaki Kushina was running through his head, but he still hadn't figured out everything about it. Sasuke sighed, knowing that Naruto would stay in the corridor, pestering him until he responded one way or the other. "I . . . have no reason to attack Konoha."

Naruto smiled and leaned back, gripping the bars to keep himself from falling.

"So, I thought about what you said," Naruto began, pacing back and forth. "About how I was being a hypocrite and how you didn't want a family."

He fell silent after that, staring into the middle distance. Sasuke thanked whatever gods existed that the blond knucklehead had finally overcome his crippling Babbling Disease. If it were someone else, Sasuke would be prompted to ask why he'd come down, but he feared any comment on his part would result in a debilitating relapse.

"And I've been trying to figure out why you don't want a family," Naruto said, and then started to pace. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he noticed the barely detectable limp in Naruto's stride. It seemed as though one of his knees was bothering him, but Sasuke knew that Naruto hadn't been on any missions lately.

The blond shook his head. "But I can't. I mean, it just doesn't make sense. When I had my family, in that other world—"

"Your _make-believe _family?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto bristled, but kept going. "Anyway, that was awesome, having somebody to come home to, somebody to talk to about how bad my day was. I just can't figure why you wouldn't want that."

He came forward to lean on the bars, peering expectantly at Sasuke through them. After several minutes of silence, the black-haired teen raised an eyebrow. "Are you just going to stare at me all day?"

"Hmm?" Naruto asked. "No, I'm just running through all of the possibilities."

"If you think you understand what it's like to have a _real _family," Sasuke said. "You're sadly mistaken, Naruto."

Abruptly enraged, Naruto slammed his fist onto the bars. "They were real!"

"No."

"Yes! You think they weren't? I had a father, who taught me jutsus and healed my cramped legs. I had a mom, and I had two younger brothers. One was a—a freaking genius, he was so smart, like Shikamaru, and the other was a little ball of energy, and I was teaching him how to fight, and channel chakra!" Naruto shouted. "And I had a sis . . . ter."

His knee throbbed.

"Oh, shit," Naruto whispered. He knew now—how could he have not known before?—that his sister, Tama. She was in trouble. It was her knee that was hurt—the dreams about Akatsuki, they were from her. He sprinted through the corridors of the prison, blowing past the guards.

His parents were currently meeting with Tsunade to sort out their death records and such. He jumped up to the roofs and flew across them, heedless of the ninja chasing him. Finally, in sight of the Hokage tower, Naruto put on a burst of speed, reaching the window in record time.

Inside, his parents and Tsunade stood around her desk. Naruto threw open the window and jumped inside. "Tama! Akatsuki has Tama!"

Tsunade nodded. "We know. We just got a ransom note."

Kushina reached out to hold Minato's hand. To find out that you have a daughter and that she'd been kidnapped by an organization of S-class missing nins in one moment was a bit unnerving.

"A ransom note?" Naruto cried. "What do they want in return?"

Tsunade sighed. "You.

* * *

--

* * *

So, lots to look forward to. Heh. I have big plans, lots of fun.


End file.
